Strength Through Vengeance
by AkashaReflections
Summary: After learning of the atrocities she had committed while under her former master's control, Solene hides herself away, withdrawing from the hated looks members of society cast upon her. What she needs is someone to help her cope with her past sins.
1. Chapter 1

She strained once more against the weight of the water around her, finally grasping the dry sand between her fingers as she pulled herself from the sea and onto the sandy shore. It had been so long since she had seen land, she was grateful the feel the soft sand against her weary flesh. She had been drifting for what felt like months to her, lost at sea with no hope of making it back to shore. As soon as she had spotted this small island, she had swam as fast as she could, straining against the rising swells, hoping to make it to the shore before she died from exhaustion.

She had made it, and now relished in her victory over the ocean as she lay against the warm sand, which helped to soothe her now tired muscles. She smirked, as memories flooded her mind, memories of her grand escape from her former master's fortress. The scene of her leaping from the window just as the fortress exploded and falling helplessly into the ocean was now as clear as it was the day it happened. It was true, she was glad to be free of that man's service, but she would have never thought freedom would be so difficult.

She groaned, flipping over onto her right side as she realized what that word meant. "Freedom," She whispered the word out loud this time, as if to relish in what the word truly meant. She hadn't forgotten over the past three years what it was like to be free, however, she had forgotten that nature could be so beautiful.

She gazed around at her surroundings, her dull green eyes staring over everything, refusing to miss a single detail. Her master had never allowed her to see any of the outside world since she became his prisoner.

Thinking back to her master once more brought back the painful memories of his abusive nature to the young girl. He made sure she was beaten everyday from the day she had arrived, to make sure she never disobeyed him. Even though he made sure to erase her mind of who she was, where she came from, or any of the things she had done while in his service, he made sure to leave the memories of her abuse. She felt a few tears well up in her eyes, as the pain of her many sleepless nights came rushing back into her memory with full force. She could almost feel the metallic bindings tearing at the skin around her wrists and ankles as he and his team of 'doctors' performed their experiments on her.

'I can't focus on that now," she told herself as she brushed the tears from her green, almost grey eyes, 'He's dead, and I am still alive.' She thought to herself once more before turning her gaze to the sky, feeling one last tear escape and slide down her cheek.

She stood up from where she had lain and looked down at the now frazzled battle equipment that her mast had given her while she had been in his service. She clinched her fists as she remembered those doctors, examining every inch of her naked flesh as they measured her, feeling her exposed body as they went. The battle equipment was some of the best structures to date, being made of the finest dragon scale components, fitting her body in the best possible manner for mobility and functionality. Still the thoughts of what those men did to her while they were creating this suit of armor were enough to make her sick to her stomach.

Her anger seemed to course from her every pore as she began pulling at the shining material, disassembling it piece by piece. She tore at the metallic material, slicing her hands open on the sharp edges as she pulled more and more of it away from her. Her memories of that man giving her all the strength that she needed to completely disrobe herself, hoping to shed the terrible memories of her former life, forever.

It was only after she had shed the battle attire, feeling sunlight from above warming her naked body, that she felt truly free. She was free to do as she pleased from now on, and not have to listen to orders, or report back to anyone. She began walking down the beach, enjoying the feel of the waters lapping at her feet, the sand sinking with every step she took. This place was so serene, no where near the terrible place that she had come from, and was the perfect place for her to begin a new life. A life where she could be completely normal, completely happy, and never have to worry about that terrible man again.

It was then that a small glint caught her eye from about five feet before her. She smiled, realizing almost immediately what the source of the light was as she ran towards it, stooping down to pull it from it's sandy casing.

"I see that you've found me again, old friend." She chuckled, speaking to her sword as she dusted a bit of sand from the ornate hilt. This sword was the only thing she was thankful to her master for. She ran her index finger along the gold trimmings that had been inlaid into the hilt surrounding several small sapphires before making her way down to the base, where the largest sapphire had been placed. She grinned broadly, seeing the blue stone shine in the sunlight as she performed some of her most basic routines, her muscles glad to be stretched out for the first time in days.

"Well," She spoke to the sword once more, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow, "Better find us both some clothes," She said quietly as she walked towards the village just on the horizon, he sword still grasped in her hand.

She slid silently behind a large piece of rubble as soon as she entered the outskirts of town, hoping to keep her exposed body from the eyes of the public. She peaked around the rock, examining the empty streets, searching for any sign of life before she moved further into the town, entering the very first house she came too. Within it, she found a suitable outfit that would cover her naked figure until she moved on to a more 'populous village.

The baggy brown pants and the large cream over shirt combined with her already stocky body made her appear male. The fact that she now had her sword tied in place in a make-shift sheath on her back didn't help. She chuckled at her image in the mirror as she pulled her bright blonde hair into a meticulous bun, before moving out into the street.

'It seems there are people here after all.' She thought to herself, noticing a few demons running around the once empty street as she walked gracefully down the street, grinning down at the children who ran by her on each side.

"THE MONSTER HAS RETURNED!" The shrieking voice of a woman could be heard ringing through the entire marketplace. Almost instantly, the once serene town became a scene of panic as the inhabitants began fleeing to their homes. Tables overturned, women grabbing their children left and right and the men of the town flooding into the marketplace, weapons drawn and ready to kill the "monster".

She cut her eyes around the scene, her hand instinctively grasping the hilt of her blade, ready to defend herself from the beast. She dashed along the street, her eyes continually scanning the area for the creature that had harmed this people, hoping to slay the creature, effectively ending their suffering. However, she was halted by the soft whimpering of a small boy laying in the middle of the street. His bright orange cheeks streaked with tears as he flipped over, watching blood gush from the scrape on his knee.

"What has happened here?" She asked the child as she ruffled his green hair, leaning down and hoping that she could treat his minor injury. The child's golden eyes widened at the young girl that now stood before him using the long sleeve of her over shirt to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY BABY" A deep feminine voice roared as a hand violently struck her across the cheek. She recoiled backwards a bit, her cheek stinging from the sharp hit before she turned to see a woman in a long olive colored dress dashing down the street, the child from before tossed over her shoulder, still staring back at the girl who tried to help him.

She leapt from behind them, running as fast as she could, trying not to lose sight of them. Seeing an awning pole hanging just above her, she used it to swing around and land just in front of the woman, causing her to fall flat on her backside. The child, whom she still clung to so desperately, turned his golden eyes back to face the young woman, trembling in his mother's arms.

"What is it that has terrified you so?" The young girl asked, leaning down hoping that she could help this woman up.

"Please," the woman cried, tears streaming down from her golden eyes as she wrapped her long fingers around the girl's ankles, "Please, I beg of you, have mercy on me!" She wailed, as the tears began to seep into the dusty ground below.

She stared down at the woman, her grayish eyes seemed to be filled with confusion as to the scene that was playing out before her. Shaking the woman free of one of her ankles, she scooped down and picked up the small boy, hoping now to get a better look at his injury. She ruffled the child's vivid green hair once more, hoping to soothe him as she got a better look at the gash. She ran her fingers over the child's cut, hoping to assess how deep it was, this caused him to flinch terribly, making her almost lose her grip on him.

"NOOOO" the woman's shrill voice made her flinch as she stepped back a bit, the woman's grip tightening to a bone cracking grip on her ankle, "I beg of you, don't hurt him!" She sobbed as she motioned toward the child, who cowered in the young girl's arms, confused as to why his mother was acting this way, "You've already taken away my husband, what more could you want?"

That was when the realization hit her, she was the monster of whom they spoke. 'I must have attacked it while I was still under that bastard's control.' It took everything she had in her not to break down weeping where she stood, but she knew the only way to save these people anymore torment was for her to distance herself from this village. She placed the child down beside his mother, patted the small tuft of green hair on his head, and prepared to run in the opposite direction only to find a large crowd of men behind her.

"So, you've come back to kill the rest of us, have you?" one man spoke, obviously the leader of this raggedy group of vigilantes. His golden eyes set in a sharp glare as he paced around her, "Well, I hate to tell you missy, but we are much more prepared for you than we were last time." He smirked as he grasped the hilt of his sword, pulling it from its sheath, prompting the other members of his gang to do the same.

Before she was aware of what was going on he had leapt over her and she felt the sharpened edge of his sword cut deep into her back, causing her to whimper in pain as she sank to her knees. She shuddered as she felt her warm blood flowing down her back, staining the ground below her a dark crimson color. The villagers howled in approval of the older man's outburst as he made his way back to their group, wiping the remaining blood on his shirt. She watched as the area surrounding her became drenched with the crimson fluid while many of the villagers moved in and began to spit on her.

The older man replaced his sword in it's sheath before pulling her from the ground, smirking at the pained look on her face, "That was for my son." His hissed, spitting in her face as he threw her back to the ground, preparing to step out of the way of the angered villagers. "You will pay, for every soul you took from this village."

Her eyes widened with fear as she saw them surround her, unaware of what they had in store for her. However, instead of fighting back, she simply lowered her eyes, staring down at the crimson stained road beneath her, waiting for them to get on with their judgment. . She bit down into her lip as the attacks came at her one by one, ripping into the already torn flesh on her back. She felt a barrage of small stones coming from some of the children, and a few of them spat on her, calling her a "curse" and "Satan's daughter". She then endured countless kicks to the ribs and punches to her back, causing her to spit up a small amounts of blood at their feet. She knew there was no way for her to defend herself against them without hurting anyone else so she simply drew her knees tightly to her chest and allowed them to beat her.

"And now for our trophy," the man from earlier chuckled as he drew her sword from it's sheath that had been cast on the ground beside her, "The sword that you have slain so many with, will now be the blade that ends your life." He shouted, admiring the glinting sapphires in the sunlight before swinging it down, with enough force to cut a deep gash into the back of her neck, killing her almost instantly.

However, this time she stopped his attack, mere inches from where her neck once was, the sharp blade piercing the toughened skin on her hands, spattering blood all around them. She winced at the pain that now came from her petite hands but she did not falter, pushing back a bit on the older gentleman.

She sighed a bit, pushing the pain into the farthest corner of her mind, before she cut her emerald eyes slightly to look into her assailant's golden ones. This caused the man to stumble backwards just a bit, and gave her a brief chance to seize control of her sword, which she promptly slid back into it's protective covering. She glanced around at the crowed to see their eyes all wide with fear and sighed. Then as quickly as she had appeared in the village she was able to push through the frightened crowd and escape, running into the forest that lay beyond the village.

"What the hell just happened back there?" she asked herself as she used her blade to slice through the dense foliage, a making a clearing just large enough for her to set up camp.

She placed a few small pieces of wood together along with some dried out grass she had collected. 'This doesn't make sense,' she told herself mentally as she struck a small stone against the sharpest edge of her blade, sending sparks shooting onto the grass, 'I should have remembered attacking them, so why don't I?'

She bent down and nursed the small flame until it roared into a large fire and moved closer to it. With the sun beginning to set, she began to notice just how cold it was getting, especially having such thin clothing on. She turned around and grabbed the small rodent that she had killed earlier and began expertly skinning it with her sword. Once the creature was completely skinned she skewered it with her sword and placed it just slightly over the flame, allowing it to begin roasting.

While her meal was cooking, she made her way a little deeper into the forest and found a spring. She stuck her head down into the water and drank straight from the spring, not caring how she looked while doing so. She savored the taste of the fresh, cool water passed over her severely chapped lips and down her dry throat.

After drinking her fill, she cupped her hands together and splashed some of the water onto her face, hoping to sooth her severely sunburned cheeks. She uncovered her face slowly and stared down into the spring water, hoping to get a better look at how bad the burn was. Her bloodshot grayish green eyes, tussled hair, and now very rosy cheeks stared back at her, almost a mockery of her former appearance. She couldn't help but smirk at how utterly ridiculous she looked in those clothes.

She stripped off her shirt and slipped into the cool water using it to clean the deep wound on her back. She couldn't see it, but she could feel just how deep it was as she used her fingers to clean out the bits of cloth that had gathered in it. After it was successfully cleaned, she tore the sleeves off of the shirt and wrapped them around her, hoping that this would keep her from bleeding freely any longer. She replaced her shirt and made her way back to the fire and sat down.

Her eyes intently gazed into the flame as she waited for her meal to cook, her mind constantly trying to remember just what she had done to those people. She watched the orange flames lick at the carcass of the animal for what seemed like hours before removing it. She took the creature from her sword and placed it back into it's sheath before tearing hungrily at the creature's warmed flesh.

'It must have been bad, they even recognized my sword.' she thought as she continued tearing at the creature with ravenous hunger 'But, I didn't mean to do it, whatever it was.' she thought to herself when she bit into a raw part of the animal, making her cringe as it's leftover blood flooded her mouth. She shivered and tossed it's remains into the neighboring bushes and lay down on the ground close to the fire. She pulled her knees to her chest and allowed herself to drift off into a restless sleep.

Dream

There was smoke everywhere as she watched the village from before go up in flames. She wanted to cry out as she drifted down the town and touched down on the main street. She summoned the courage to make her way down it, seeing many slain bodies of the villagers that littered the streets. The carnage was unimaginable, each body more mutilated than the last. She shuddered seeing a teenage girl's body, her neck laying at a peculiar angle, still clutching a living infant in her arms.

She reached down to sooth the sobbing infant, when he was swept up into one of the male villagers arms, as he dashed down the street passed her and into a small clay house at the end of the street. She instinctively dodged a falling awning as she made her way into his home.

"Ambali, you must take Amaro and leave this place." The villager spoke harshly to his wife as he handed his son to her, "I will go and finish this demon and come for you when it is safe." He said as he paced over toward the window, gazing out into the darkness, watching the flames draw nearer to his house.

The woman soothed her wailing child by rubbing the small patch of green on his head. Her golden eyes the narrowed at her husband. "Surely there must be another way?" She pleaded as she made her way toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There is no other way," he said coldly looking at the ground, unable of how to tell his wife the next part, "She has taken the life of our daughter, Ambali," he said through clinched teeth, tears flowing down his ginger skin as her turned to face his wife, "I will not let her take away you and Amaro."

"Elek, please," she pleaded again, tears flowing freely now, "Let someone else take care of her. I don't want to lose you like we lost Shamilia." She choked out throwing her arms around his waist, nearly crushing the sleeping child between them.

"Hush now," Elek said as he wiped away his wife's tears, "I'll be alright." He whispered into her hair, taking in it's sent once more as he stroked his child's hair once more.

"Elek," A larger man called as he entered the small house, "It's time to go, she's on the move again." Elek sighed and turned his face back to his wife.

"Ambali, please, go with my father. He will protect the two of you until I come for you." He said as he hugged his wife close to him one last time and smoothed out his son's hair. The four of them made there way out of the small door and parted ways, he headed toward the destruction, while his remaining family fled from it.

She felt her heart catch in her chest as she caught a good look at the older man and the woman at his side. They were the younger versions of the woman and man from the village she had run into earlier. It was then that she realized what she was witnessing and she turned on her heel and ran toward the man called Elek.

"Please Elek you must stop" she pleaded from behind the young man, hoping that he would be able to hear her, "It's not to late, save yourself! Your family needs you!" she called out to him again, this time, the tears flowing down her face as she watched him continue on his path towards the center of the town. 

She continued after him and before long they had entered the town square, or what remained of it. She began frantically searching for any sign of the demon there while trying to keep an eye on Elek. 'There has to be a way to stop this.' she thought to herself as she scanned the building tops.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and Elek flew backwards. She whipped her head around in time to catch a glimpse of the figure, clothed in a gleaming metallic armor that was heading for Elek once again. Her breathing became shallow when the figure's face became revealed to her, her blonde hair, pulled meticulously into a bun high on the back of her head. It was almost as if she was staring into a mirror except this girl had glowing yellow eyes instead of her normal greenish grey ones.

She watched as the mirror of herself attacked Elek, who fought very bravely with a very beautiful sword clutched tightly in his right hand. The man had the moves of a great swordsman, even though he was just a common man from a humble town. But it seemed that no matter what he did, her former self was always one step ahead of him and easily able to stop his every move.

He stepped back slightly, and he lost his footing, which gave her former self just the advantage that she needed. With utmost precision, she pushed her blade completely through Elek, causing him to cry out in pain. She watched as the sword was ripped from his innards and forced through him again, this time in his neck. She shuddered at the gurgling sounds that he emitted as he fell to the ground, the blood now spewing from his neck and flowing from his mouth.

She felt the tears stinging at her eyes as she turned toward her former self, seeing the look of absolute ecstasy on her face. These people had done nothing to deserve this, and she didn't understand why she would be doing this. However, when she saw herself bow down she knew that it wasn't her doing, but her master's.

'But why would he come here?' she asked herself as she quickly ran behind the remains of a market stand. She knew that he couldn't see her, but she didn't know if she was ready to face him quite yet.

"Rise, Solene." She heard his cool voice echo throughout the square, causing her to shuddered immensely, "We've got what we came for, now kill the rest of them." She heard his maniacal laughter fill the air as she was ripped from the dream world.

She shot up quickly, covered completely in a mixture of cold sweat and the early morning dew. She covered her face with her hands and allowed herself to weep freely for the first time since she had been capture. She looked over to her sword and remember seeing it sticking out of Elek's lifeless body and instantly felt remorse for all of the people she had harmed, intentional or not.

"That settle's it" she said out loud as she placed the sword into it's sheath and stood, "I will disappear into the depths of Makai, where I may never again harm any one." She said as she turned away from her make shift campsite.

"This will be the punishment for my many deeds." She allowed one last tear to fall before she fled deeper into the forest of the Makai, pledging to herself that she would never be seen again. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Koenma," Kurama spoke softly, startling the ruler enough to make him fall out of his chair as he made his way quietly into the office, "You wanted to see me?" He asked, wondering why the Prince was so jumpy.

"Oh, Kurama!" Koenma gasped, clutching his chest as he pulled himself back up into the leather chair, "Don't ever scare me like that again!" He half chastised the kitsune as he gathered the green folder and prepared to brief him.

"Why is it that you called me here, sir?" The red head asked politely as he quickly made his way to the chair in front of the oak desk. He used his fingers to brush some of his longer flaming locks out of his jade gaze while he watched Koenma prepare for the mission.

"If only Yusuke could have been as patient as you are," Koenma mumbled under his breath after finally gathering all of the paperwork into the folder and shutting the filing drawer on the side of his desk.

"Yusuke was here?" Kurama asked, his mind racing over why Koenma hadn't brought them in together like he usually did, "I haven't seen him since Keiko's funeral," His voice suddenly became very sullen as he thought of that horrible day, and seeing his friend go through so much pain.

He would always remember the detective leader, who had quickly become one of his closest friends clinging to himself and Kuwabara throughout the entire service. It was as if one of the strongest beings in the three worlds couldn't stand at the thought of his one and only love being dead. He openly wept onto Kurama's shoulder for a good majority of the service, Kuwabara trying his best to soothe his mourning friend.

Kuwabara had been good enough to relive the night they had found Keiko's body, shedding a few tears himself as he told the story. He told of how they had found Keiko's mangled body in her apartment as they arrived with groceries. The story became even more emotional when he told of how Yusuke had worked on Keiko's mangled body for hours, trying so desperately to save her with his crude version on CPR. Kuwabara had to stop telling the story there, for fear of losing his composure even further and not being able to help his best friend.

What shocked Kurama even more about that day was the fact that Yusuke was so lost in his grief that his mazoku side took over his body. His sudden change in appearance had been enough to scare his mother, causing her to faint at the sight of her only son. Kurama shook his head, trying to shake the memories of Yusuke clinging to Keiko's casket as they took her body to be burned.

"Kurama?" Koenma questioned, which immediately brought Kurama back from his thought world. The ruler sighed, knowing exactly where Kurama's thoughts had taken him and handed him the folder he had been searching for, "The information on your next case is in there."

"Koenma," Kurama paused for a brief moment, unsure of whether he wanted to open the folder or not, "Does this mean that team Urameshi is no more?"

"For the time being Kurama," Koenma said as he began to go through the many files on his desk, trying desperately to sort them in some sort of order, "I have Yusuke on a very important mission, and Hiei has yet to have been reached."

"And what of Kuwabara?" The kitsune questioned further, causing the young ruler to tense ever so slightly, remembering the last encounter he'd had with Shizuru, Kuwabara's angry older sister. 

Koenma had made his way, very discreetly to the Living World, hoping to confront Kuwabara about taking on this mission. However, he had come at the wrong time and had been forced to talk with the angry brunette who was so focused on getting her baby brother to college. He shuddered to think of how she had belittled him, thrown cigarettes at him, and threatened to take his life should Koenma ever try to interrupt Kuwabara's studies again for a single mission.

"Well," Koenma felt one single sweat droplet roll down the side of his face as he tried to push the thoughts of the angry girl from his mind, "Let's just say he has, other more pressing issues at hand."

Kurama simply nodded his head, obviously understanding what Koenma meant by the more pressing matters. He became curious at the contents of the folder and flipped it open in his lap.

Name: Solene

Age: 21

Birth date: June 14

Height: 5' 5''

Weight: 120 lbs.

Blood Type: O+

Hair Color/Style: Blonde hair, comes to just below shoulders. Almost always kept up in a braided bun with bangs and two pieces of hair allowed to stay down on each side, tucked behind each ear.

Eye color: Usually has a green hue, although it has been known to shift to a grayish green color. Were yellow when her master was controlling her

Body type: Solene is a very solidly built female with plenty of upper body strength due to the fact that she is a sword master. She is a very muscular and well toned woman, which comes from her years of serving under her now deceased master. 

Weaponry: Solene is a master of a very ancient form of dueling swordsmanship, an almost extinct form in all three worlds. With the use of a longsword, a blade that is known for it's great power instead of speed, she cuts down all of her enemies, most within a span of a few minutes. Using the heavy longsword has conditioned her body to withstand almost any attack, including those that focus mainly on spirit energy.

Although she has been trained by her former master to handle almost any kind of weapon, she always favored this type of sword. Her sword, which has no name that could be found, is a marvel within itself. A gift from her previous master, it contains some of the most beautiful sapphires known to man, which proves just how important Solene was to him.

"So," Kurama asked, staring down at the photo of the young girl in his hand, wondering why Koenma would give him this information, "I'm assuming you want me to bring her in."

"Partially," Koenma replied as he laced his fingers and placed them gingerly in his lap, unsure of how Kurama would take the next part of the plan, "I want her to become part of the team."

"To replace whom?" Kurama growled, knowing just what he was getting at, and becoming a little annoyed with the prince who tried so hard to hide it.

"Not to replace anyone," Koenma waved his hands in front of his face, hoping to sway the kitsune's demon side from taking over and destroying his office like his mazoku counterpart had, "Just, as a precaution."

"And what of Yusuke?" Kurama shot his jade gaze at the nervous prince, watching him squirm within his seat, "What is this mission he is on?"

"It is a mission similar to your situation," Koenma said as he wiped the copious amounts of sweat that had gathered on his brow on his white handkerchief, "However, this one requires much more of his attention. I can't go into details for fear that the information may leak as it has once before, you understand."

"I understand that perfectly," the red head sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, his emerald gaze never leaving the ruler's face for a moment, "What I want to know is are you trying to get another person on team Urameshi in his case as well?"

"Well, yes," Koenma sighed in defeat, knowing that Kurama would keep prodding if he didn't answer him. Koenma immediately tensed a bit, feeling Kurama's aura flare up a great deal. He could sense that the kitsune was becoming more and more angry by the moment, though he would never show it, unless it came to an extreme point.

"Well, it seems to me sir," Kurama's once warm voice went completely frigid as he tossed the picture of the girl back at Koenma, his face becoming a hard glare that was set on the prince, unmoving, "That you are trying to replace a member of our team."

"As I told you, I'm not replacing anyone," Koenma shook his head, chills running down his spine as he stared into Kurama's hardened glare, "I'm not replacing anyone, I'm filling an empty position." He whispered almost silently, feeling an sickening feeling taking over his entire being, instantly making him regret his choice of words.

Kurama felt the fury flowing through his veins when the man sitting across from him spoke these words. Kurama didn't need to ask anymore questions, he knew exactly who the prince was hinting at. Sahara. Kurama sat back against his chair, trying his best to keep his temper in check as he mulled over this fact for a bit. It was sure that Koenma hadn't told Yusuke of this little replacement, for if he had, he would have been stamping his own judgment paperwork instead of sitting before him now.

He clinched his fist tightly as he tried to suppress the urge to slay Koenma himself, right there on the spot. How could he have ever thought to fill Sahara's position, when she had given so much to the team? Someone that had given up the last of their strength, enduring endless amounts of torture to keep a madwoman from controlling a great power. Koenma could argue that Sahara was not aware, but Scylla was. She knew exactly where the diamente was, and with she and Sahara sharing one mind, he could only assume that they shared the same thoughts.

Kurama pushed a bit of hair from his face, closing his jade gaze and trying desperately to control his anger. Why would Koenma want to replace her? Sure, they hadn't found a body, and after seeing everything they had, it was only logical to admit that she was dead and move on with his life. And even if she wasn't dead, he knew that he could never have her, for she was already taken by one of his closet friends. But even knowing everything that he did, Kurama couldn't move on. He chose, like his teammates, to cling to the hope that Sahara was still alive, thriving somewhere far away from the painful memories of her life.

Koenma could do nothing but watch nervously as his most collected team member sat there, struggling to contain his anger. He sighed when he thought of what the poor boy must have been going through. Koenma knew that Kurama was feeling things very similar to what he had after Sahara died, and he knew that Kurama was having a hard time moving on. He knew that the only way to help this team heal was to fill the position, and make them move on with their lives.

"Are you saying that you are replacing Sahara?" Kurama spoke in a low, almost inaudible growl as he made his way over to the sitting prince, "Well are you? He asked as he grabbed the royal by his collar and lifted him into the air, his feet barely scraping the floor as he squirmed in Kurama's grip.

"What are you talking about?" Koenma whimpered, still struggling against Kurama's firm grip, cursing himself mentally for ever bringing up the situation. "I'm not replacing her, I'm filling the position."

"Is that not REPLACING her?" Kurama spat as he threw the young ruler back into his chair, which made an odd noise at the sudden amount of force that was exerted on it at one time. Kurama stalked back to the desk and grasped the picture in his hand, staring down at the girl who stared back at him, "And this girl is the one you have chosen to replace Sahara?"

"Kurama, you have to calm down," Koenma said as he made his way over to the frustrated kitsune, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know that you blame yourself sometimes for Sahara's death. We all blame ourselves for it." Koenma said reassuringly as he escorted his friend back to his chair, "And as you've all pointed out, there was no body and even though I saw her spirit, I still cling to the hope she's still alive. So don't think you are alone in this."

"But, why this girl?" Kurama, now back to his normally mellow tone, asked as he pushed the picture towards the royal, confused as to why he would have chosen her, "What is so special that you would want her for this team?"

"It's simple Kurama," Koenma leaned against his desk, "She has a strength that could be a great asset to this team. Plus the fact that she has learned how to escaped nearly any type of bondage know to man." Koenma laughed as he turned for the kitsune.

"And it says here, her eyes were yellow when her master was controlling her," Kurama pointed to the asterisks, "What does it mean, controlled?"

"She was mind controlled for a very long time from what my intelligence has been able to gather," Koenma said as he made his way back to his seat, and ever so gently sat in it, "This control was never used on her, until she became rebellious when she was about sixteen. This is when she was used to assassinate Lord Enki and several of his assistants, we assume that this was a plot to keep him from competing in the second demon world tournament."

"So, you think she was aligned with Mukuro?" Kurama asked, feeling as chill run down his spine. It was then that he made up his mind, that no one, no matter what the circumstance, who worked with or for Mukuro should be allowed on the team. Not after what he saw she had done to Sahara, he felt as if he would be dishonoring her memory if he allowed it.

"There is no evidence that suggests that," Koenma said firmly, bring Kurama back from his daze, "So will you take the assignment?" Koenma asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Kurama said crossing his legs in his classic manner and folding his hands neatly in his lap, "There is still so much I don't know about this girl, like for instance, where is she dwelling?"

"In a cave not to far from here actually," Koenma said as he gave Kurama a set of coordinates, "I'll get you a portal there immediately."

"I'm not finished yet, Koenma," Kurama said firmly, making the now very nervous prince tense once more, "I want more information on the mission."

"Fine," Koenma sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his chestnut colored hair, "Your mission is to bring this girl back here and convince her to stay with us. I also want you to get a good feel for her fighting skills, therefore you will have to train with her. If we can convince her, she is to become your permanent partner and I will be sending the two of you on the more dangerous missions in demon world."

"Are you sure that's all?" Kurama eyed Koenma suspiciously and the ruler began to fervently sweat once more. Kurama chuckled a bit at this sight, "Honestly Koenma, if you are going to lie to me, you should at least attempt to hide it better."

Koenma half chuckled at this statement, wiping more sweat from his brow, "Yes, well, there is the slight chance that someone may be able to control her again," Koenma said, "We don't know who her master was, let alone if he had followers or not."

"So basically, we are getting her here as a precaution," Kurama deduced making the prince relax once more, "You want to study her so that if she ever becomes controlled again, we will know exactly how to handle it."

"Precisely." Koenma stated flatly, glad that the kitsune seemed to finally be calming down.

"So basically, I'm a babysitter?" Kurama implored the prince once more, a little offended by the thought of Koenma sending him on such a pathetic mission.

"Not technically, you will be doing more than just watching her," Koenma said, trying earnestly to convince Kurama to go ahead with the mission. This was the one thing he hated about dealing with former thieves, that looked at every angle of a mission before accepting it, and Kurama was no exception to the rule. "She is a marvelous sword master as you read and she also contains great amounts of spirit energy. I believe having her here will help you to improve yourself as well."

"Very well Koenma," Kurama sighed, looking at the picture one last time before shutting the folder, "Set me up with a portal."

With Solene

She sighed heavily, taking another bite from the half raw carcass of the tiny rat she was having for dinner. She had been living in this dank cave for nearly two months, barely getting enough food to survive. She shuddered when she thought of the stated of her muscles, which had slowly began to deteriorate since she had been without good food for so long. After biting into a completely cold piece of the rat, she tossed the leftover meat out before laying down on the cold, rock floor of her cave.

She thought back on her many encounters with villagers since she had become free. She had entered numerous villagers, silently hoping that someone there would be gracious enough to take her in and give her food and shelter. However, she now bore the scars of those encounters as most of them had been even more terrible than the first. She had been beaten, mocked, and stabbed with almost anything the villagers could find before she was thrown from the towns. What made it worse was the haunting nightmares she would have after every visit to a town. She would remember the face of every member of that village that she killed, even being able to smell the blood on her hands after waking up. That was when she decided to completely seclude herself, hoping to never experience such dreams again.

"It's probably best this way," She spoke quietly to herself as she flipped onto her other side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. It was then that she noticed the shadow a person moving just outside her cave, almost as if they wanted to enter. Instinctively she reached for her sword and tucked herself just behind a small boulder, hoping the person would go away. Hearing the quiet footsteps enter the cave, she immediately tensed, he hand placed gently on the hilt of her blade, ready to attack the intruder as he moved closer to where she was hiding. She swung her blade with all her might as the person rounded the corner, barely missing the red headed man who expertly dodged and stood before her.

"Now, is that any way to greet a guest?" His voice came to her in rather quiet, almost feminine tones as he examined her home. She glared hard at him for a moment, but once she realized he wasn't there to attack her, she quickly placed her sword back in it's place at her hip.

Kurama ran his hands along the cave wall, examining every inch of this place she had been living. It wasn't very big, but it was obvious that she was making the best of the situation. She had even brought in some lovely plants to help give the dank walls a bit of color and fragrance.

"Tell me," He said as kindly as possible as he brought a small, yellow flower to his nose, "Why is it that you are living here?"

She cut her eyes to him for a moment, her gaze never faltering but this gave her a moment to take in his features. He was easily seven to eight inches taller than her from what she could guess, but he was much thinner than she. She also noticed the natural tan color that graced his skin and mingled with his long red hair. Then she made her way to his eyes, the luminescent green orbs that seemed to light up his entire face. Before she could lost any deeper into her thoughts, she caught a whiff of his scent and immediately drew her sword and place it against his throat.

"Leave now, Kitsune," she spoke for the first time, her voice oozed with absolute venom as she pressed her blade against his neck harder, drawing a small amount of blood to the surface, some of it oozing down the tip of her blade.

"So you can speak," He chuckled, obviously not fazed by the fact her blade was dangerously close to his jugular, "I was beginning to worry about you."

This comment caught her off guard for a moment, though her blade did no falter. He was worried about her? What did he mean by that comment? It must have been some kind of a trap set by that idiot Koenma, who was stationed just down the road.

"You are one of Koenma's lackeys are you not? She asked quietly, her green eyes never moving from his as she added a bit more pressure to her blade, drawing more blood to tan surface of his skin.

"You are a quick one aren't you," He answered with a small laugh and she released him and put her sword back into it's sheath when she realized he wasn't there to evict her, "How did you realize I was from the palace?"

"I can smell it on you," She said as she plopped herself down beside the smoldering cinders in her fire pit and began to nurse them back to a flame with some dried kindling she had gathered the night before.

"I see," he said as he took a seat beside her, noticing her instantly move a bit away from him as if she were afraid of being so close to another living being, "Why is it that you live here alone?"

"Why is it that you ask so many questions?" she shot back at him, never bothering to look up from the small flame.

"Touché" Kurama said as he stared into the growing flames for a moment, "I was wondering if you would like to accompany me back to the palace."

"Thanks, but no thanks," she said curtly as she moved to the opposite side of the fire from him, "I've seen what the idiot who runs that place does to his servants, they pass by here quite often you know."

"We don't want you there as a servant," Kurama started as he closed the gap slightly by sliding closer to her, "We want you there as a guest." He said gently as he gazed into her misty green eyes.

"Since when does Koenma care about people like me?" She shot back, obviously not impressed with his stealth technique and moved the exact distance he moved in the opposite direction, turning her gaze to the wall nearest to her.

"We just want the opportunity to get a hot meal into you, and allow you to sleep in a warm bed," Kurama said as he motioned to the setting sun, pulling his jacket around him tighter, "I'm sure it gets rather cold in here at night."

She looked away from the wall to the exquisite watercolor sunset and thought to herself for a brief moment. It was true, she could use a good meal, she hadn't had one of those in so long that her body ached at the mere mention of food. A hot bath would be nice as would an actual bed, hopefully a short rest would help to restore her aching and torn muscles to there original capacity. However, she was not so quick to accept, after all there had to be some sort of catch to this kitsune's proposal.

She glared at him for a moment before turning her head and going back to her thoughts. Were they trying to get her there so that they could gain control over her powers and send her back to killing once more? She shook that thought from her head as many more images flooded from her past flooded her mind. 

'Maybe, I can break into records there,' she thought to herself as she turned her gaze back to the kitsune before her, staring into his brilliant jade eyes once more, 'I can destroy any information that they have on me and how to control me, then I can truly say I am free.' she smirked a bit at this notion. "You have a deal. I will stay one night."

"Excellent," he replied as he stood from his seat. He watched her douse the fire with some water she kept in a pale near there before she moved to gather what little belongings she had.

He watched her move expertly around the cave, admiring her features as she went. Despite the dried blood and dirt that was caked on her face, he could see that she was a lovely girl, not overly beautiful, but her rounded features gave her a certain charm. Her light skin and hair made him question what race she had descended from.

However, he became a bit distracted when he noticed the large, tattered sacks that she wore. "We will get you some more suitable clothing as well." He smiled at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes.

She simply nodded her head towards him, her mind racing over everything that had happened as she placed her things in a small piece of cloth. The last thing she retrieve, was her sword that had been propped against the wall, never out of arms reach. She took the beaten sheath and tied it to her belt before making her way back to him.

"Ready to go?" He asked, she made no move to answer, so he simply lead her in the direction of the palace, "By the way, my name is Kurama."

"Solene." She stated quietly as she trailed about two feet behind him, her heart pounding in her chest as she wondered what she was getting herself into.


	3. Chapter 3

Solene glared at the kitsune who now sat at the far end of the table, sipping at the soup that had been placed before him Just what were he and Koenma after, bringing her here? Many questions flooded her mind as she moved her stormy green gaze to the questionable yellow fluid in the bowl before her. She stirred the soup suspiciously before lifting it to her nose, taking a good whiff before looking across to the kitsune again, another sharp glare shot across the table waiting for him to respond.

"You know," He finally spoke, his jade eyes glancing up at her for a brief moment, "If you want my attention, you could just ask. Glaring really doesn't have that much of an affect on me anymore." He chuckled at the puzzling look she gave him before turning his attention back to his delicious meal.

Just what was he getting at? Solene pondered this question over and over in her head constantly while she continued to stir her soup. Finally, she built up the courage and lifted the soup to her cracked lips, taking a cautious sip from her spoon at first, feeling the soothing liquid make it's way past her lips and down her dry throat into her empty stomach.

Instantly, the ravenous hunger that she had been suppressing for so long made itself known to her once more. She lifted the bowl to her mouth and drank from it greedily, some of the soup spilling from the sides and down her neck. Never before had she tasted anything so wonderful in her entire life.

Kurama glanced up at the sudden outburst of slurps and grinned to see his new found teammate finally eating. "I see that you're hunger has finally gotten the better of you." He chuckled when she placed the empty bowl back on the table, but only after licking it completely clean of any remaining soup.

"Would you like some more?" He stood from his end of the table and made his way towards her. "I left the rest on the stove, if you would like me to get you another bowl." He smiled as he watched her wipe her now soup covered face on her shirt.

He picked up the bowl and made his way into the kitchen dipping her another serving from the large brass pot before taking it back into the dining room. However, the girl who had once been sitting at the end of the dinner table staring back at him was gone, vanished from the spot where she once sat.

"Solene?" Kurama questioned, his ears listening intently around the room, wondering if she was on the offensive. This thought caused him to instinctively pull a rose from the vase that sat of the buffet table, preparing to summon his weapon of choice, his rosewhip.

However, before the whip was summoned, he was shoved up against the wall, leaving a shallow imprint of his body there. He whipped his head violently around, only to see Solene sitting in the middle of the large dining room table, the bright red rose cradled delicately in her hand.

"Just what were you planning on doing to me, Kurama?" She spoke for the first time since she had arrived, her voice oozing with biting venom as she cut her eyes at him, crumbling the delicate rose petals within her hands allowing the crumpled remains to fall to the floor.

Kurama manage to pull himself from the imprint in the wall, dusting a bit of the shattered wall from his clothing. "Solene, I was confused as to what was going on." He said raising his hands up to the young girl who still sat crouched on the table before him. "I only took the rose as a precaution."

After the end of his sentence, she unsheathed her beautiful sword and placed it at his neck, ever so gently drawing another small line of blood, just beneath the one she had put there before. "Kurama, I know better than that. You and Koenma both take me for a fool. I know you've brought me here to destroy me!" She hissed, bringing her knee up into his stomach, causing him to lurch forward, allowing the blade to cut deeper into his tanned skin.

Kurama hissed in pain, feeling her sharp blade piercing deeper into the delicate flesh on his neck. He wrapped his hands around the double sided sword, hoping to pull it away from his beating jugular. He glared up at the young girl who continued her assault, glaring down at him as she slammed her knee into his stomach once more.

"Solene, you truly are a fool if you think we've brought you here to destroy you," Kurama whispered, his neck now leaking his bright crimson blood onto the carpet below, "We merely wish to help you." He spoke again, this time, a bit of blood running from his mouth as she struck him in the stomach a third time.

She laughed loudly at this thought. "You help me?" She cackled again as she wrapped her fingers in his bright red hair, lifting his face up to hers. She stared into his glowing emerald eyes for a long time, admiring the beauty within them and enjoying the slight terror that lay hidden behind them.

She pressed the sword harder to his neck, hoping to bring more of that hidden terror out in her victim, "Just why the hell would you want to help me?" She hissed, wrapping his hair even tighter within her fingers, causing the kitsune to hiss in pain.

"We know you've been abused in the past, Solene," Kurama said softly, watching her eyes shift from grey to green almost instantly, "We want to help you get passed that, help you move on with your life."

She smirked down at her new companion and dropped him back to the floor. Stupid kitsune had given her every answer she had wanted in that one simply sentence. He had proven that these Rekai fools had some sort of information on her, more information than anyone should have on her. Now she knew what her next mission would be: Finding said information and destroying it.

She chuckled as she made her way towards the door, preparing to show herself to a room for the night. "The Rekai's finest team, my ass," She whispered under her breath, causing Kurama to look up at her, his jade gaze glaring at the blonde girl standing before him. "You really are nothing without that loud mouthed leader of yours, aren't you?"

That did it. Almost instantly, Kurama had launched himself from the floor, wrapping his long fingers around her neck, squeezing them tightly. Never before had he been so angry with a single person he had only known for a brief amount of time. However, what shocked Kurama most was the fact that the girl he was now holding by the throat, threatening to squeeze the life out of stared him down. Her stormy green eyes bore into his for what seemed like an eternity as he held her, his mind racing over the events of the past few moments.

He tossed her carelessly away from him, seizing a rose as he went and immediately summoning his whip. However, taking the time to do this, gave Solene the chance catch him off guard with a kick to the jaw which sent him skidding across the table and into the floor. She smirked as she withdrew her sword once more, her fingers tracing the ornate sapphire insets as she waited for his next move.

He threw himself back over the table, cornering the young girl on the far side of the room, his whip poised and ready to stop the girls assault. He landed a left hook to her jaw, giving her just enough time to leap over his head, in an exotic display of aerial acrobatics. She landed in a crouched position on the table once more, her sword poised in the classic katana position, almost as if she were waiting for him to attack her.

He took her invitation gladly and used his rose whip to wrap around the girl, getting ready to drive it's thorns deep within her skin. Solene proved herself to be a match for Kurama's wit by running at incredible speeds to Kurama, causing the kitsune to be wrapped in his own viney creation.

Solene smirked up at her battle partner, her stormy green eyes shifting back to their original gray color, once more. "It's over, Kurama," she cooed in his ear, causing a violent shudder to overtake the kitsune's body. "You know that you can only do so much damage to me without killing yourself. I have the upper hand here. Therefore, I have won."

Kurama contemplate the situation that he was in for a brief moment. To the untrained eye, this battle scene would have seemed like a stalemate, with both he and Solene caught in his thorny death trap. Kurama, knew different. This girl had been so trained that she had been able to calculate exactly how the vine would wrap around her and Kurama. Then, she had used her sword to be sure that the vine mainly attacked it, instead of her, the majority of the whip on her side was wrapped around the hilt of the sword. If that hadn't been enough, she had poised the sword at Kurama's chest, so that if he decided to pull the whip tighter around them, it would have sent the blade through his chest killing him instantly.

He smirked at the brilliant strategist before him. "Very well, Solene. I surrender." He whispered as he summoned the whip back to a rose, leaving only a few minor scratches on both of them. "You are really a brilliant person, you know that?"

"I was trained to look at every aspect of a battle," She smirked, placing her sword back within it's sheath and tying it back on her waist, "Perfection was the only option were I come from."

"You have a few minor wounds there," Kurama said, noting the scratches that lined her entire body, "Would you like me to dress those? Perhaps I can come up with some sort of healing herb." He said as he brushed against her face, causing her entire body to tense at his touch.

"Don't waste your time on me, Kurama," She spoke, brushing his hand away as she made her way towards the doorway, not even bothering to look back at the red headed kitsune behind her, "I won't be here long enough for it to make a difference. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to find this warm bed that I was promised."

She wandered down the dark hallway, not bothering to turn on the lights so that she wouldn't disturb anyone. Her hands running along the walls of the hallway, to keep her from running into things, something golden caught her eye. It was a small stand of light, bouncing off the hardwood floor of the palace, obviously shining from underneath a door. She found herself wandering deeper and deeper into the palace, following the strange glowing light that was escaping from underneath a door at the very end of the hallway.

She grasped the handle firmly, a slowly opened the door, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, prepared to strike down any enemy that came at her. Instantly, she was engulfed in a sea of blue as she gazed around at the room that she had stumbled upon. The walls, blankets, even the carpet was blue, almost as if they had prepared this room just for her. She ran her hands along the comforter of her bed before she lay down, her aching muscles thankful to find some relief from that stony floor she had so long called her bed.

Before long, she could feel her eyelids growing heavy, she desperately tried to stay awake, unsure of what Koenma's intentions with her were. Before to long, she had forgotten all about Koenma, pulled her sword up onto her chest and gone to sleep, not even bothering to pull the covers up around her.

Dream

"STOP IT, YOU MONSTER!" Solene screamed out at the winged demon before her watching as he tore deeper into the man's flesh before her with his dagger. She could feel her hot tears, welling up in her childlike eyes, threatening to pour down her cheeks. She lurched forward, pulling hard against the chains that restrained her, trying to free herself, hoping to lend some aid to the man before her.

"Relax, Solene," Her master cooed in her ear, running his fingers through her long blonde hair, enjoying it's soft feel against his skin. "I wouldn't have to do this to him if you would just show me what I want to see." His warm breath against her tiny ear caused a sea of goose bumps to erupt on every part of her small frame.

She blinked, staring up into her master's face, allowing a stream of tears to cascade down her face. Her mind ran over what the demon before her had just said, causing many questions to form in her young mind. She turned the meanest glare that a young child could to the man who continue stroking her hair as if she were some sort of animal. It was then that her gaze shifted to the man who was strapped to the surgical table in front of her. Her stormy green eyes filled with more tears as she ran over his features, which weren't that dissimilar from hers.

The older man looked past her to her master, a bead of sweat running from his blonde hairline down to his chin before falling to the floor. His green eyes glaring at the winged man before him, swearing inaudible death threats if he ever got out of this place. He shifted his eyes away from his captor to go over his injuries briefly. They weren't all that bad, just a few minor cuts that had been used to get some sort of rise of the younger girl.

However, his thoughts were interrupted as the winged demon sank his claws into the constricted man, causing him to emit a howl in pain. Solene watched in horror as her master dug his claws deeper into the man before her, causing more of his crimson essence to spill onto the floor below him. He dug deeper into his abdominal cavity, puling pieces of his fleshy tissue out and tossing them to the floor, as if he were gutting some sort of beast for his meal. Then, just as soon as he had started, he pulled his claws away, smirking at the man who now panted heavily, sweat pouring from his brow.

The demon made his way across the room, his bright golden eyes set on the much younger form of Solene. "Well, Solene" He spoke delicately to the child this time, licking a bit of the still warm blood from his fingertips, "Are you willing to show me what I want, or do I have to continue with this little game?"

The five year old version of Solene glared up at her the winged beast for a brief moment, her stormy green eyes boring into his bright gold ones. She wanted to save her last remaining family member and if that meant giving herself up to this terrible wind demon as a slave then that was what she would do.

"I will be your obedient servant." She whispered, feeling a few more tears slide down her cheeks to the floor as she knelt before him, "Please," She whispered even softer this time, almost embarrassed that she was begging this man for mercy, "Please don't hurt my Daddy anymore." He said quietly as she bowed before him, more tears spilling onto his sandaled feet.

"Solene," her father hissed softly, feeling a few tears slip from his matching stormy green eyes. It was horrible to think that he couldn't protect his only daughter from having to give herself up to this horrible man. The sickening feeling in his stomach continued to grow as he though of how his five year old daughter had just sworn her allegiance to a known criminal in order to save him.

"Good girl," the demon cooed again, patting the small child on the head once more, "You will make a fine subject for my army, Solene. With a little training, of course." He smirked, admiring the child's beauty as he loosened her binds, and gently wiped a few of her tears from her eyes, putting them to his lips and enjoying their salty taste.

As soon as she was free, Solene shot towards her still restrained father, her arms spread wide, hoping to hold her father one last time before he was taken away. Her father smiled down at his beautiful child, tears streaming down his face as he thought of her being taken from him as everything in his life had. He struggled against his own binds now, wanting to run his fingers through her hair just once more before she was gone.

However, before Solene could reach him, her new master cut her off, picking her up and holding her close to him. She struggled fiercely against his grip, her small legs kicking against his toned stomach as she wriggled herself in his arms, trying to shake herself loose. The bright eyed demon just smirked down at the young child, using only one arm to make sure she couldn't escape him.

Solene turned her saddened eyes back to her father for a brief moment, just in time to see her master shove his sharp claws into his chest, splitting it almost completely open. Instantly, her father spat up blood, spewing it all over her and her master as he gazed down at the massive whole that was ripped in him. She heard him cry out once more, this time, an ear piercing scream that seemed to rock the entire fortress as his captor made his way deeper and deeper into his chest cavity, his hands examining every piece of the cavity until he found what he was looking for.

His screams continued for what seemed like an eternity to the small girl, who continued to watch everything, her face splattered with her father's blood. She watched as her father's struggling became less and less violent until finally he stopped moving all together, his screams silencing all at once. Tears streamed from her eyes once more as she stared at the motionless body of her father, silently hoping that he would move once more.

"Poor thing." Her master cooed as he looked down at the crying child in his arms, wrenching the heart of her father from it's still warm flesh. He smiled as he looked upon the four chambered vessel, admiring the tangy scent of the man's blood that was still dripping from the different arteries that extended from it.

"Now, prove your worth to me." He hissed as he cast the still sobbing child to the floor, causing her frail body to skid against the stone floor, which tore at her pale skin, leaving small cuts along her entire frame. "I want you to eat this." He hissed once more as he cast the heart down in front of the child.

"No…" She sobbed once more, turning her eyes from the bloody mass that had landed in front of her. She pulled her knees to her chest as she prepared fro his beating, knowing that she would receive one. The smell of her father's blood was enough to make her sick to her stomach, and she was willing to take the beating if it meant she wouldn't have to endure that metallic smell any longer.

"You will eat it," He spoke down to the child as he pulled her up from the floor by the hair, causing her to cry out in pain, feeling the roots of her hair ripped from her scalp. "You will do as I say, or I will kill the rest of your village."

Her eyes went wide at the thought of him murdering her entire village. If he was trying to feed her the heart of her father, just what would he do when he began murdering everyone she had ever known. She grimaced at the thought of her father's blood running down her throat but knew that she would have to do it, in order to protect the other people that she cared about.

She nodded her head silently, and was promptly dropped back to the floor, just in front of the still warm heart. She gazed upon it intently for a moment, her green eyes beginning to fill with tears as she looked to her father, who's large chest wound still dripped blood onto the floor near her. She shook her head violently and turned away, unable to bring herself to even touch the heart before her, much less eat it.

"You WILL eat it, Solene," He master roared as he sank to the floor beside her, picking up the heart and holding it to her face. Then, before she could prepare, he shoved the heart into her face, soaking the entire lower portion in warm residual blood that was trapped in the crevices.

She shook her head more and more violently, trying to escape the feel of the slimy organ against her face, more and more blood smearing onto her face. Tears began streaming from her eyes once more as she continued struggling against her master's grip, feeling it beginning to tighten on her hair once more. Suddenly, her master landed a sharp punch to her stomach which caused her mouth to jolt open, preparing to take in a large breath of air.

That was what he expected. As soon as he mouth was opened, he forced the heart into her mouth, squeezing two of his fingers so that more of the leftover blood flowed into her open mouth. He smirked as the young girl began to shake violently, her aura instantly shifting and becoming a much stronger aura. Suddenly, he was thrown backwards, into the brick wall on the far side of the room, his golden gaze still staring at the young girl in the center of the room.

She was standing, her long blonde hair, lifting slightly with the light breeze that her aura created throughout the room. Her deep blue aura swirled around her as she pulled the heart from her mouth, dropping it to the floor. She continued glaring at her master, blood still dripping from her lips for a few moments, unaware of what to do now that she had forced him away. However, after this brief surge of power, she felt the world beginning to spin, and he watched as the young child staggered before falling face first to the floor below.

He smirked at his newest recruit as he pulled himself from the wall, dusting off his black wings as he made his way over to the child. "I knew you would make an excellent recruit, my little Solene."

End Dream

Solene immediately sat bolt upright in her bed, her heart still racing as she leapt from the bed and made her way into her bathroom. She threw her face over the toilet, and emptied her full stomach of it's contents. There she stayed for a good half hour, throwing up every little thing she had eaten over the last two weeks, unable to rid herself of the taste of her father's blood that still filled her mouth. She sighed as she pulled a towel from the rack and wiped her forehead as she made her way back into her room, laying down on her soft bed.

"Why is it that I just now remember that?" She asked herself audibly, clutching her still spinning head. It was almost as if this memory had just now been reactivate in her mind, but the question was, why. Why would that memory choose to show itself to her now, no one in the mansion knew anything about it.

She flipped over onto her left side, staring out the window at the tranquil forest that she had lived in for so long. Maybe someone in the palace knew something about it and it was her mind's way of telling her she needed to look into it.

'Maybe I should stay a few extra days and see what I can find out.' She told herself as she continued staring out the window, unaware of the presence of the kitsune who sat outside her door, generally concerned for her well being. 'That's it then. I give myself a week to find something.' she told herself as she pulled her blade back onto her chest and closed her eyes, drifting back into a restless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Solene made her way hastily towards the end of the dark hall, her ears trained on her surroundings, listening for any signs of movement within the palace. It was true, she was being rather bold sneaking around the palace but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a little dirt on Koenma and the kitsune she had met the night before.

She smirked reaching the large wooden doors, pausing just before reaching them to make sure she heard no sounds from within. Once she had convinced herself that she was safe, she ran her calloused hands against the smooth wooden door before softly pushing it open, her body immediately tensing at the sound of the squeaking hinges.

A huge sigh of relief escaped her lungs as she made her way into the office that was illuminated by the ghostly glow of Koenma's screen behind the large wooden desk. Instantly ducking down, hoping to avoid any cameras that may have been installed, she crept behind the large desk, tucking herself beneath it. She glanced warily around the room, but when she saw none, she prepared to pull herself back out from under the desk. Her breath caught in her chest as she heard heavy footsteps making their way down the hallway closer and closer to the office.

She instinctively pulled her knees up against her chest and sat perfectly still as the door to the office crept open. Afraid to breathe, she winced as the bright office lights came on, unaware of who would be entering the office at such an early time. The scratching against the floor of sharp claws alerted her to the fact that it wasn't Koenma or Kurama, making her instantly relax.

She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, silently waiting for her unsuspecting victim to make his way around the edge of the desk. Watching the great blue feet making their way closer to her, she felt her pulse quicken, excited by the thrill of a hunt. As he rounded the corner, she leapt from her crouching position and placing her hilt to her temple with a substantial amount of pressure, struck the ogre. She grabbed his shaggy blonde hair as he went down and lay him out in the middle of the office, praying she had not drawn attention to herself by striking the innocent ogre.

'Sorry, my friend,' Solene thought to the passed out ogre as she made her way over the desk, immediately beginning to go through the mountainous amounts of paperwork that had gathered on Koenma's desk over the years.

Never before had she seen so many pictures of criminals all in one place. She pushed her broad hands through the paper, going over picture after picture, searching for anything that may have looked like it was related to her. Her stormy green eyes lit up at the sight of her picture hidden within a manila folder that had been covered by the large amounts of paperwork.

"Well done, Solene," A voice hissed from the shadows, causing Solene to instantly tense, her hand instinctively going for her sword. "Don't even think about it," Koenma's voice came almost at a harsh whisper as Solene felt the cold blade of Koenma's guards pressing against the back of her neck.

She smirked at the scowling prince and lifted her hands high into the air, allowing the many guards that had swarmed from within Koenma's secret chamber to swarm around her. His captain made his way closer to her, untying her sword from her side and tossing it to one of his soldier's, who immediately pulled the blade from the sheath, admiring it.

"Just what did you think you were doing in here, Solene?" Koenma hissed as he made his way over to the unconscious George who still lay sprawled out in the floor. "How dare you come into my home and just tear the place apart like you own it." He growled at the now restrained girl who sat in his large leather chair, staring down at him.

"I got lost," She hissed back at him, almost sickened as she watched Koenma slap George until he groaned and promised to get up. She smirked at the reddening tone that was overtaking the ruler's face as he shot up from the floor and flew up at the girl, putting his face mere inches from hers.

"That is the biggest lie I've ever heard in my entire life," Koenma hissed, staring down at the girl standing before him. Her foul odor from not bathing was enough to make him regret the close proximity as he eyes began to water when the smell seeped into his nostril passages. "Take her away," He coughed violently as he pointed towards the oak doors.

Solene smirked as she felt the chains that restrained her wrist tighten around them as the guards that held them began to move towards the door. However, she didn't budge, her smirk set on the steadily reddening face of Koenma. Before the guards could even react, she had kneed the prince of the Reikai in the gut, causing him to drop to his knees.

Instantly, the guards released her chains and withdrew their weapons from their holdings and held them at the ready. She smirked once more, landing a well placed kick to the Prince's face, sending spiraling into the wall behind him and sending his well trained team on the assault. The five of them swarmed around her, all of their swords slicing at her from all sides, each barely missing vital points on her body.

She could feel the wind coming off their blades as she dodged more and more quickly hoping to confuse the assaulting guards. She landed a punch to one of the guards gut sending him flying away from his teammates. The sudden attack from the girl, caught two more of the guards off guard, causing them to drop their guard. Solene, being trained to spot such a weakness, instantly attacked the weaknesses, landing two solid punches to both of the guards stomachs. She smirked at the shocked looks that overtook their faces, and crashed their skulls together before ducking under the assaulting blade of their captain.

The captain jumped away from her, instructed his other employee to do the same. The young man pulled the heavy sword up into a defensive stance, preparing to leap back from their attacker. However, before the inexperienced swordsman could jump back with Solene's heavy sword, she was upon him smirking at the trembling young man before her.

"I do believe that belongs to me," she said softly, stretching her scarred hand out in front of the young man, who immediately backed away from her, wary of her intentions. "If you just had over my blade I won't hurt you too badly," The young man trembled slightly, staring down at the broad set female who was still staring at him, her right hand extended and waiting for his response.

"You have to make this hard, don't you?" She growled lowly, rubbing her hand gently against his before snatching the blade from within his hand. Before he could withdraw she pushed the hilt of her blade into his stomach, causing the younger guard to sink to his knees, instantly knocked unconscious.

She smirked and retied the sheath to her belt, constantly listening to the movements of the confused captain behind her. He brushed his shagging brown hair from his eyes before he hastily charged her, however, he was quickly brought to his knees by a single kick to his abdomen. However, before she could end his attack, he rebounded off the floor and landed a punch to her jaw making her face recoil around just a bit. She was able to land another punch to his chest while his foot simultaneously connected with hers, sending them both flying across the room, both landing on their feet with swords at the ready.

"You are everything Koenma expected you to be," The captain panted, tightening his two handed grip on his katana, his dark brown eyes staring at the small female before him. He could feel the sweat pouring from down from his auburn hairline as he glanced around at his group, each knocked out by this single woman.

She smirked at his comment, placing her trusty sword into her right hand as she charged him again, this time her sword poised to make the attack. The scraping of metal echoed throughout the quiet room as Koenma watched the two sword masters hack at each other, their blades gleaming in the dim light of his office. Koenma pulled himself off the floor, with the help of his desk, his eyes trained on the battle that continued in his office.

Solene smirked as the captain continued coming at her with an impressive force, the strength of his katana able to push away her blade many times. On a quick hit, he shoved her blade from it's defensive position and brought his katana down across her lower arm, sending blood spraying across the bookshelf in Koenma's office. She made no noise of pain, but reluctantly dropping her prized sword as she wrapped her fingers around her arm, adding pressure to help stop the severe bleeding.

The captain took the opportunity, kicked her sword across the room and placed the tip of his blade at her neck, "You will surrender now, Solene," He mumbled, his chocolate eyes staring down into her stormy green ones, "You have been beaten." He hissed, his rough voice echoing through the halls of the palace.

"You would like to think that, wouldn't you, Captain?" She hissed back, her eyes glancing around the room, hoping to find some way of escaping the situation. The pain from her arm surged through her body once more causing her to fall to her knees, her entire body shaking but she didn't show any signs of pain.

"Face it, girl, it's over," He hissed as he pushed the tip of his blade into her neck, breaking the skin slightly. He smirked mercilessly down at the girl before him, hoping that Koenma would give him the go ahead to run her through.

She smirked at his over confidence as she used her good arm to push herself off the floor with just enough force to cut a flip over his head. He immediately lunged trying to keep her from getting to her sword, knowing he only had the over hand as long as she was unarmed. He dashed to the other side of the room, smirking broadly as he passed her and leapt in front of the gleaming sword on the opposite side of the room. He turned around, and prepared to take the girl down only to see her smirking back at him on the opposite side of the room.

Solene stood there, with Koenma held fast against her, her hidden dagger pushing into the tight skin around throat, cutting dangerously close to the jugular vein. "Looks like I win, Captain," She chuckled softly as she drug the blade across Koenma's neck gently, causing Koenma to whimper and tremble in her grasp.

The captain's face changed drastically, as he tossed his katana at her feet and held his hands high above his head, acknowledging his defeat. Her smirk grew wider as she made her way closer to the door, still looking at the defeated captain. She slid silently closer and closer to it, preparing to make a dash out of it as soon as reached it.

However, Koenma had other plans as he slid from her loosening grasp. "NOW KURAMA!" He called. Almost instantly Kurama's rose whip appeared from the door, wrapping around her small frame and binding her limbs against her torso.

"You've gotten sloppy, Solene," Kurama said softly as he walked around the trapped girl and made his way into the office, his hand still tightened around the end of his whip, refusing to let the girl get the better of him again.

"Kurama, we don't have time for games," Koenma hissed as he dabbed the blood from his neck on a handkerchief that he had found on his desk. "I need you to finish this now." He growled at the kitsune as he tossed the bloody cloth into his wastebasket.

"What exactly do you mean by 'finish this'?" Kurama asked warily, his eyes trailing over the bloodied arm of the girl who stood across from him. He couldn't help but feel an ounce of sympathy for her after he had listened to the terrible screams that she had emitted the night before.

"What do you think he meant by it?" The disgruntled captain of the guard retorted as he glared down at the still smirking girl, his stomach cutting flips as he stared down at the creature before him. "He wants you to finish her off." He couldn't believe that one of Koenma's best was turning down the opportunity to kill one of the most hated beings in all three worlds.

"So why don't you do it, Kurama?" Solene questioned the kitsune, causing his gaze to fall on her once more. "You should want a little revenge after how I embarrassed you last night." She chuckled, seeing a slight blush cross his face.

His entire body tensed slightly as he remember the beaten that she had given him the night before. Not only had she proven herself to be a match to him physically, she had proven herself mentally against him. The thought of her defeating him made him pull at the end of the whip, causing the thorns that surrounded her to cut deeper into her skin.

"What's the matter, Kurama?" She chuckled again as she felt the thorns stop their invasion of her skin, "Is that all you have for me?" She smirked once more as she stared into the jade eyes of her opponent once more.

Kurama's grasp loosened once more as he stared into the eyes of the young girl before him. This girl, she had already been through so much pain, and yet she was standing before them begging for more. "I won't hurt you any more Solene, I know you've been through enough." He said softly as he allowed his hand to hang limply at his side, the end of the vine still clutched in his hand.

"Would you give me that?" The captain roared as he ripped the end of the whip from Kurama's hand. "I'll end it for you if that's what you want!" He hissed as he pulled on the vine sharply, causing the razor sharp thorns to plunge deeper into Solene's soft outer tissues. Her crimson life force began to puddle beneath her, spilling from various holes that the vines had placed on her tanned skin.

However, this reaction was exactly what she had been hoping for. When he pulled the vine tighter, it had become more and more centered on her body, tightening around her core, allowing her hands to become freed. In one quick motion, she seized a second dagger from her hip and freed herself of the constricting vines. Before the captain could react she had tossed her dagger at him, in a dart like fashion, landing it square in the soft tissues of his upper arm.

"I'm sorry, Solene," Kurama whispered softly as he charged her pulling his hand from within his pocket, revealing a green handkerchief. He seized her and placed the handkerchief over her nose, silently waiting for the a simple potion he kept within him to take affect.

She struggled for a long while after that, her arms flailing about as she tried to escape his strong grasp. However, her struggling caused her to take in more and more of the potion which began to take it's toll after a few moments. She could feel her eyes getting heavier as she struggled, her limbs becoming more and more like jelly.

Kurama picked her up as he felt the weight of her entire body come crashing back onto him. "Take her away, ogres." Koenma whispered quietly as Kurama handed her off to the green ogre that stood beside him. "Place her in a holding cell, until we can figure out what to do with her." Koenma said softly as he massaged his temples as he moved back to behind his desk.

"Captain, would you like me to escort you to the hospital wing?" Kurama asked gently as he helped the fallen man off of the floor, making sure that he didn't move the dagger from it's snug fit within the muscle.

"That won't be necessary, Kurama," Koenma said irritably as he began shuffling through the paperwork on his desk, trying to rearrange it the way he wanted it to be. "The captain is capable of finding his way there. I need to talk to you."

Kurama stared after the limping captain as he made his way out of the doors before shutting them and making his way back over to the desk, pulling up a chair as he went. "What is it that you would like to speak with me about?"

"You know very well what we need to discuss" Koenma snapped as he tossed the folder back in the direction of the kitsune. "This girl is dangerous and something needs to be done about her." Koenma said as he motioned towards the folder, which Kurama flipped open and began scanning the new materials that had appeared within, "As you can see, I've done quite a bit of research on what could be done…"

"I will have no part in torturing this girl, Koenma!" Kurama roared as tossed the folder halfway across the room, the pictures of torture instruments spreading across the floor. Kurama shuddered as he remembered those pictures of the metallic instruments that would twist her and turn her body, making the pain so immense for her she would have to talk. It almost made him sick to his stomach to think that Koenma would ever consider such an act.

"Kurama, please calm yourself," Koenma spoke calmly as he rose from his seat and collected the pictures from the floor, bringing them back to his desk silently. "I was just considering these as an alternative. We need her to talk Kurama, you know that."

"Yes, but I don't think torture is the answer, sir," Kurama said softly, refusing to look his boss in the eye as he thought back to the night before when he had heard Solene's screams echoing through his bedroom walls. "I think she's suffered enough of that."

"Yes but Kurama," Koenma retorted, running back over her files, "We need more information in order to help her. I don't see what the problem would be in a little torture with a memory erase."

Kurama instantly flew across the desk, wrapping his thin fingers around Koenma's trembling neck. "I will not sink to Mukuro's level, Koenma!" He hissed loudly, causing the prince's eyes to go wide as the events six months prior flashed before his eyes like they had so many times in the last few weeks.

Koenma shook himself loose of Kurama's grasp and rubbed his neck feverishly, contemplating the biting words his employee just spoke. "What do you propose we do?" The heartbroken Koenma managed to mutter out, tears forming in his eyes as he thought back to the events of six months prior.

"I propose that you let me get to know her," Kurama said gently as he placed a hand on the Prince's shoulder, instantly feeling regret for his biting words. "If you give me the time, I'm sure I can find out everything I need to."

"Very well, Kurama," Koenma sighed, wiping away some of the tears that had formed in his eyes, "I'll give you six months. If you cannot get the information we need by then, I will have to take matters into my own hands." The prince sighed heavily once more at the thought of having to torture this girl, but he knew if it meant the safety of the worlds, he would have to proceed.

"Thank you, Koenma," Kurama whispered as he made his way out of the office and down to the holding cells, knowing the drugs would be wearing off soon. The ogres who saw him coming, stepped to the side, waiting until the last possible moment before opening the door and allowing him to step inside.

She looked up at him from her sitting position against the floor, her eyes taking on their grayish hue the longer she stared at his face. She clinched her fist as she thought of striking him down, but thought better of it as he may have still had that potion in his pocket.

He paced around her cell for a brief moment, unsure of how to approach the situation. "What were you looking for, Solene?" He asked softly, thinking she may appreciate his honesty.

"What does it matter?" She hissed back, pulling her knees up to her chest so that she could rest her chin on them, "I didn't succeed, now did I?" She punched the floor silently, causing a small crack to form in the tile beneath her hand.

"Well, I wouldn't say that" Kurama said cheerily as he crouched down beside her, making her tense more as she scooted away from him. "I mean, you did give Koenma's protective entourage the best workout they've had in a long time." He said with a light chuckle.

Solene turned her gaze to the kitsune beside her, confused at what he was trying to do. This demon, who had just drugged her not thirty minutes before, was now trying to befriend her. 'What the hell did those two discuss in that office any way?' she asked herself as she stared into his jade orbs once more.

"Well, Solene, would you like to go back to your room?" Kurama asked as he pushed himself off of the floor, dusting the back of his pants off. "I wouldn't suggest that you try that again any time soon, you will be under tight surveillance for a while now." He offered her a hand up and waited for her response.

She sighed when she thought of the way she had blindly charged into Koenma's office without thinking to explore more first. She brushed Kurama's hand away and pushed herself off of the ground, following him out the cell. She would have never went into an unexplored territory before she entered the palace.

"Is something wrong, Solene?" Kurama asked, pulling her from her thought world, causing her to nearly walk into the corner he had just rounded. When she didn't respond, he simply opened her door and allowed her to go inside.

"Would you like some lunch?" he asked, hoping that the promise of food would make her talk as it had the night before. However, she simply made her way over to her bed and lay down, totally ignoring the kitsune's question. "I guess I should say goodnight then." He said when it became apparent she wasn't coming out for the rest of the day.

Solene's eyes stayed open, focused on the plain white walls of her room for a long while as she thought over everything that had gone on today. What did Kurama and Koenma want to know about her, and why were they keeping her in this place? Why did Koenma have those folders filled with photos of two other girls about her age? These questioned raged through her head, as the many possible answer began to file in the more she thought about it.

She closed her eyes and flipped over onto her back, silently vowing that within her stay here, she would find out what Koenma's plans were for her as well as those other two girls. "Perhaps that can be my penance for all of my past transgressions." She said audibly to herself as she drifted off into her dream world, being plagued by the memory of her former master once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Solene's Dream

She could feel the intense gravity pulling her down, faster and faster towards the ground below her. She struggled against the pain of the weight, feeling her world going dark around her as she struggled for more air. Just as she felt she was about to pass out and die from lack of oxygen, everything around her stopped moving and she gently drifted to the ground.

She gasped for oxygen as she stumbled to her feet, her knees threatening to give out on her at any moment. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust them to the bright light of the sun as she tried to get a grasp on the situation she had been thrown into.

When her world came into focus, a pair of large oak doors greeted her view. She back up slowly admiring the ornate decorations of the Reikai palace that she had been dropped in front of. "How did I end up out here?" She asked herself audibly. However before she had time to figure the answer to this question out, a large explosion shook the entire palace, causing her fall back to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" She asked herself again, her own voice reverberating around her as she saw countless guard members come rushing out the front doors of the palace, each carrying his own weapon at the ready.

"Soldier!" An older gentleman's voice called out from above all of the noise, calling all of the younger less experienced soldiers to fall into place. "Lieutenant Vidor, what is the status on this attack."

"SIR!" The younger lieutenant stepped forward from ranks and did a small salute, showing his respect to his commander, "The enemy appears to be a young female of about eighteen years of age, and she has attacked the southern quadrant of the castle."

"Any idea what may have provoke this attack?" The Colonel of the squad asked his Lieutenant before making his way around, inspecting the rest of his ranks.

"No sir, we have no information on this girl, or even where she came from," Lieutenant Vidor replied as another explosion shook the entire grounds, causing the guards to dive for the ground, covering their heads, hoping to protect themselves from the flying debris.

"RIGHT!" the Colonel responded as he drew his twin blades from their sheaths, "Here's the order men! We are to attack this little wench head on and take her down! We will destroy her before she can get to and kill Prince Koenma! Is that understood?"

"SIR, YES, SIR!" The men replied as they each withdrew their own weapon dashed towards the direction of the explosions.

"Not you, Vidor," The Colonel said softly as he placed his hand on the eager soldiers shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "You are to go with me. We must protect Lord Koenma at all costs."

"O-Of course SIR!" The eager lieutenant saluted his superior once more before the two of them made their way back into the palace, making sure to bar the doors tightly behind them.

Solene glanced at the two men who had just left her presence. She knew exactly what was going on here, and knowing that none of the men that had just been sent away would ever make it back alive almost made her sick to her stomach. Why would her master have sent her here to destroy Koenma? Why didn't he come himself? She shook away those thoughts and dashed through the doors, following the men closely before she ran into Koenma's office.

"Lord Koenma!" The colonel spoke quickly as he entered the massive office of the prince, "How are my men faring so far?" He asked quickly as he made his way over to the screens where the prince was scanning each one very closely, a look of absolute horror plastered on his face.

"Not so good I'm afraid, my friend." Koenma said softly, shaking his head silently as he watched yet another one of his men be cut down, this time some of the blood spattered spilling onto the camera. "They are just no match for this girl. Whoever trained her is very knowledgeable in all of your fighting styles."

"Nonsense!" The colonel replied as he pushed his way closer to the screen trying to see all of his men fighting, "For someone to know all of the fighting styles, they would have had to be trained in the fighting corps here, you know that."

"I'm merely offering a suggestion." Koenma said quickly as he pointed to yet another screen, "Just look," He said as he pointed to her, "Look at her form, she knows every attack they throw at her and she knows what form of defense works best against it."

"What are you suggesting then?" The colonel, turning red from anger at this point as he watched yet another one of his men be cut down in the process turned his gaze to the ruler, waiting impatiently for his response.

"I'm merely suggesting that their may be a traitor among you. I just want you to stay on your toes, because it looks like you may be going out their very soon." Koenma said silently, as he watched the girl run her double-edge sword through yet another victim, almost severing his torso from his legs.

This thought caught Solene's interest. Could it have been possible that her former master was once apart of Koenma's loyal army? That would have explained his unquenchable taste for the blood, especially of those who had anything to do with Koenma. She shook her head, almost ashamed of herself for not being able to remember anything about him.

"Sir, I would like permission to make my way out there." The colonel said quietly, his face turning a ghostly shade of white after seeing the horrible display put on by this one girl. "I would like to spare my men, as many of them as I can. I will leave Vidor here." He said, looking over to his lieutenant, who was sweating bullets on the opposite side of the room.

"But, sir!" Vidor shouted as he placed his hand on his loyal katana, that still clung to his side, "I won't let you go out there alone! I will fight too!"

"No, Vidor, your place is here," He said quietly as he placed a hand on the shaking lieutenant's shoulder. "You must guard Lord Koenma with your life! I will be back before you know it, holding that girl's head high in the air, for all of the world to see just how we deal with traitors around here." He whispered into the younger man's ear before dashing from the room.

Solene sighed heavily, feeling the guilt washing over her once more as she knew the fate of the courageous older man who had just left the room. She silently wished that he would succeed, that he would end her pathetic excuse for a life, which would save so many others in the process. However, she knew that these were the events of the past, and no matter how hard she wished, she would never be able to change what she had done.

"Come Vidor, you are more than welcome to watch the fight on the screen, if you wish," Koenma said softly as the nervous young man made his way over to beside the prince. Solene gently glided over in her ghost-like form and stared at the large array of screens that depicted all the battle scenes.

Never before had she seen such absolute gore, including in the former nightmares she'd had about killing other people. Mangled bodies, screaming members of the squadron laying in pools of their own blood, crying out in agony for someone to end their suffering. Then she caught a glance of her horrifying blood stained face. Her dim stormy green eyes had been replaced by the bright yellow ones that signified when she was under her master's control.

"There's the colonel!" Vidor shouted as he pointed the screen, leaving a sufficient smudge on the once gleaming surface.

"Come down from there at once you fiend!" The colonel's voice echoed through the speakers as he pointed up at the possessed form of Solene, "You will fight me right here and now."

Solene slowly turned her bright eyed gaze to the man who was calling up to her, and placed her sword back in it's rightful sheath. Then, without warning, she dropped from the sky, landing right before the man. She slowly got up from her crouching stance, wiping blood stains off her metallic dress suit as she stood.

"Draw your weapon!" The colonel commanded as he drew his own double swords, "You will pay for what you have done to my men today!" He shouted as he charged at her, not even letting her draw her sword from where it rested at her hip.

She smirked as she watched the man swing his double blades at her easily dodging each of his attacks and waiting patiently until he would swing again. However, he began to get sloppy, getting closer and closer to her, until, she saw her opportunity and caught both of his blades in her bare hands. While it did cause blood to burst forth from the deep gashes that had appeared, it didn't matter to Solene. She smirked once more before she tossed both of the blades far into a random direction, leaving the Colonel, completely unarmed.

"OH NO!" Vidor shouted as he ran for the door, completely leaving Koenma sitting alone in his room. Solene couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for the poor young boy and she decided to follow him, hoping that he could save his friend.

Vidor didn't slow down the entire way. He ran at full speed through the palace and out of the doors, running down towards the great crater she had created with her second blast. "COLONEL!" He shouted as he caught sight of the two combatants and drew his katana, preparing to go in swinging.

"Vidor!" The Colonel cried back, "What the hell are you doing? You are supposed to be guarding Lord Koenma!" He lectured turning his gaze to the young man for a brief moment, shooting him a warning look.

That was all the time that Solene's former self needed. Before Vidor could take another step, she thrust her hand deep within the Colonel's chest, causing him to cry out in pain. Vidor let out and agonizing scream as he watched the young girl rip his leader's heart from his chest, and drop the dead body to the ground.

She turned her gaze up to the younger man, who's eyes had already begun to produced copious amounts of tears as he looked on the face of his dead mentor. Suddenly, she was standing before him, blocking his view of his friend's dead body, still holding the steaming heart in her hands. He shivered seeing some of the residual blood rolling down her arms as she lifted it to her mouth and took a large mouthful of the organ, tearing a piece off and swallowing it.

"YOU BITCH!" Vidor screamed as he brought his katana down, striking at her head. However, she easily blocked this with her bare arm, not even flinching when the blade pierced her skin and forced it away from her, leaving Vidor completely defenseless as she continued to suck the remaining crimson substance from the chambers of the dead heart.

Vidor, however, could not let go of the fact that she had taken his mentor from him and thrust his elbow into her stomach, causing the heart to fall from her hands and into the dirt below. She growled slightly seeing her meal plunge into the pile of dirt below, she hoist the young man high into the air and threw him against the side of the palace, enjoying the sickening crunch that his bones made against the wall.

'Solene!' A voice called in her head, causing the future Solene to immediately tense. 'Stop this. You're mission was to take care of that nuisance Colonel Shironzo and come straight back. Leave this pitiful excuse for a lieutenant to wallow in self pity."

The future Solene watched as her former self obeyed the voice in her head and immediately retreated to the dense woods just outside of the palace. As soon as she saw she was gone, Solene moved over to check on Vidor, silently praying that one person had lived through this massacre.

Before she could reach him, Vidor pushed the large pile of rubble off of him and stood up, tears now streaming down his dirt smeared face. He sadly limped from the imprint of his body in the wall down to his fallen commander. With a loud sob he pulled the commander's pin from his uniform and carried it close to his heart in his clasped hand.

He silently limped all the way back to the palace and into Koenma's office, where the Prince sat anxiously waiting. "Vidor, I am so sorry for the losses of your friends. I know that you and the Colonel were close." He said gently as he pulled a chair out for the tired and wounded soldier.

"Please, sir, I don't need your apologies." Vidor sat irritably as he clutched the golden pin tighter in his hand. "That stupid bitch. She will pay for what she has done, I will assure you of that my Lord."

"Vidor, you can't take this matter into your own hands." Koenma said gently as he passed a wet clothed to the still crying soldier that sat across from him. "You are wounded and you need to be cared for, please, allow me to send some of the other soldiers after her until you recover."

"No!" Vidor shouter as he shot up from his chair, causing his usually neat brown hair to shade his eyes, "I will not set idly by while more men are thrown at that beast to be killed! I've seen her fight, I know that we can find weaknesses, if you will just give me the time I need!"

"Very well, Vidor," Koenma said softly as he made his way back to his desk, "I will give you charge over your own platoon of men." He said as he pulled forth a black leather box from the drawer and reveled a set of gold and silver pins.

"Sir, what are you saying?" Vidor asked.

"I'm saying, be ready to meet you're new squad at six hundred hours, Captain." Koenma said quietly as he pinned an ornate golden pin on the man's uniform jacket.

End Dream

Solene said bolt upright in her bed, quickly regretting this and flopping back down. So, that was why the captain had been so eager to kill her last night. They had been informally introduced before, and though she didn't remember him he remembered her. How could she have been so blind as to not see the classic signs that he knew her from her past days.

"Glad to see you are awake." Kurama's calming voice filled the quiet room, causing Solene to tense slightly and instinctively reach for her sword that would have normally been beside her. She glared at him when she didn't find it there, preparing for him to attack her at any moment.

"Don't worry, you're sword is safe over against the far wall," Kurama said softly as he poured some hot water from a teapot into a cup and place a tea bag in it. "Here, drink this," He said gently as he thrust the cup into her hands. "It's a special blend of green tea, to help you relax."

She looked suspiciously at the cup for a moment, unsure of what Kurama's true intentions for her were. But soon, the aroma of the tea filled her nostrils, causing her to salivate. She brought the liquid to her mouth and drank a small amount savoring the taste of the liquid running down her dry throat.

Kurama stared at her for the longest while, just happy to see that she was drinking something. He gingerly placed his hand closer to her until he rested it on her forehead, causing her to automatically tense up at his touch. "Don't worry, I just want to make sure you're fever is gone." He said quietly as he tried to get a sense of her temperature through the matted mass of hair on her forehead.

"Fever?" Her voice came as raspy and harsh and it took a great deal of effort for her to force it out.

"Yes, a fever," He said as he propped her pillows up behind her and forced her to lay back against them. "I came to bring you dinner last night and when I came in you were covered with sweat and talking in your sleep." He said as he pulled the covers back around her body.

"Would you like some more tea?" Kurama asked cheerily as he made his way over to the teapot once more. She shook her head slowly, trying to prevent the same spinning sensation from earlier as she watched him make her another cup as well as one for himself.

"Did you stay with me the entire night?" She asked quietly as he handed her the cup of tea. She guzzled this cup, enjoying the soothing affect that the tea seemed to be having on her vocal chords.

"Well, I couldn't very well leave you in here without supervision, now could I?" He asked as he sipped from his own glass as well, "Suppose something were to have happened to you, how would I explain myself to Lord Koenma?"

"So you are basically my babysitter," She said hostilely as she placed the empty teacup on the stand beside her bed and turned her gaze out the open window.

Kurama chuckled softly, "Hardly, I was more concerned for your well being." This stated caught Solene off guard for a brief moment. Working for Koenma, Kurama had to have known the horrible things that she had done when she was under her master's control and yet he still worried for her well being. No. There had to be some kind of mistake.

"Were you really concerned, or merely doing your job?" She asked quietly, not turning her gaze from the window, hoping that he would fess up to his lie so that she didn't have to deal with the thoughts of him caring for her ever again.

"No, Solene," Kurama said quickly as he placed his own tea cup on the table beside her bed, "I was genuinely concerned for your health, that is why I stayed in here with you the entire night."

He had stayed the entire night? Why would someone who was her enemy just a while ago stay with her through the night when she was sick? These answers didn't make sense to Solene, all she knew was that she had to find out what he was up to.

"So, if you were here the entire night, why don't you tell me what was wrong with me?" Solene said sharply, as if she were quizzing Kurama on the events of the night before to see if he would slip up and give himself away.

However, Kurama was to smart for her ploy. "If that's what you want Solene, I will be more than happy to give you my account of everything that happened last night." He said with a smile, causing the young girl's face to tinge slightly pink when she realized he had figured her out.

"Basically, I came here last night, carrying a tray of food that I had prepared." Kurama started, not noticing the color that had formed on her cheeks, "When I came to this end of the hall, I could hear you talking, and rushed right in to find you covered with sweat, shivering, and mumbling names in your sleep. So naturally being somewhat of an herbalist I began trying things that would help to break your fever, but no matter what I tried the fever would not break."

"So, I eventually gave up and swore that I would not leave your side until you woke up or the fever broke." Kurama finished quickly as he began gathering the dishes from the night before as well as the two cups that the two of them had been drinking out of. "Is there anything else that you would like to know?"

"What exactly was I saying?" Solene asked, fearing that he would have heard he talking about Vidor and piece the Captain and her past together.

"I can't really say for sure," Kurama lied quietly. It was true that he had heard every muttered word that she had said that night, but he believed that she would be more open and honest with her, if she didn't feel he could blackmail her. "I figured that you were just having a nightmare, which is often a side effect of a high fever."

Solene continued to stare at Kurama for a brief moment, silently contemplating his answer. Was it possible that he was telling the truth, or was he waiting to spring the truth on her later for blackmail? She tensed and pulled herself up so that she could follow him around the room, her eyes never leaving him as she continued to question his motives.

"Well, I'm about to go downstairs and prepare lunch," Kurama said as he hoisted the tray of dishes up and turned to face her, "Would you like some lunch as well?" He asked sweetly as he made his way to the door.

She contemplated this for a brief moment, however, her gnawing hunger won out in the end and she agreed to have lunch with him. "Alright then, well, lunch will be ready in an hour or so." He said as he opened the door with one hand, "If you feel up to it, there is a shower just down the hall that you are more than welcome to use."

She nodded her head silently at him and watched as he made his way out of the room and closed the door softly behind him. Then she tossed back the covers and stood up slowly from the soft bed, enjoying the feeling of not being sore from sleeping on a stone floor. Instinctively she made her way over to her sword and ran her fingers over bright blue sapphire that was molded into the hilt.

How many people had she slain with this sword while she was under that man's control? And how much longer could her body survive the abuse it suffered every time she went into this dream phase? Questions continued drifting in and out of her mind as she gathered her things and made her way to the shower, hoping that the hot water would soothe her tired muscles and her tired mind.


	6. Chapter 6

"Glad to see you've decided to join me for breakfast," Kurama greeted cheerfully seeing Solene walk slowly through the door. "I didn't know if you would feel up to it after all that you went through last night." He nearly whispered as he flipped his paper back in front of his face, his jade eyes scanning the contents of the pages.

"I must get some sort of training done today," She spoke shortly as she brushed some of her wet hair out of her face before grabbing an apple from the center of the table. She sat down in the wooden chair at the opposite end of the large dinner table, adjusting her sword to lie in her lap before she ate.

"Why is that?" Kurama questioned, not even looking up from his paper as he took a sip from his coffee.

"You know why," She replied hostilely as she tore into her apple, savoring the tangy taste that immediately flooded her mouth. "That fool Koenma and his lieutenant. They fear me." She said quietly as she turned to gaze out the large window in the dining room.

"I don't think it wise to say such things out loud," Kurama replied softly to her comment, glancing just over the top of his newspaper at her, "You never know who might be listening." He said, noticing that she had left her hair down.

"I honestly could care less who was listening," She shot back at him, refusing to let him scare her into altering her comment. "What are they going to do to me?" She questioned, turning her stormy green eyes to his, waiting very impatiently for his response.

"I wouldn't challenge Koenma or anyone's authority in such matters," He replied quickly, placing his paper before him in a neatly folded pile, "I've heard tales of some of the horrors one can experience in a Reikai cell."

"Pssh" She responded, coming close to chuckling at his explanation, "Do you honestly think they can come up with worse things to do to me?" She growled, almost immediately regretting telling him that.

"What do you mean?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, waiting quite patiently for her story to unfold.

'What a fool this kitsune is,' She told herself mentally, taking another large bite from her apple, 'He actually expects me to elaborate on what I mean.' She turned her gaze to him once more, brushing some of the damp bangs out of her face once more. "I don't think that's any of your concern, my dear kitsune."

"Kurama," He said abruptly, causing her to tense slightly. "My name is Kurama, Solene. I don't think it would hurt you to remember that."

"And why do you think I should remember that?" She asked shortly, offended that he would have had the nerve to correct her statement. She could feel her hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of her sword as she prepared for another ambush much like the night of her first arrival.

Kurama rose silently from his seat, making his way over to her. He watched as her broad shoulders became even more rigid with every step he took. He eyed the grip she held on the hilt of her sword when he bent down to her level, "If we are going to be partners, it wouldn't hurt to be on a first name basis," he whispered before exiting the room, leaving her to think about his statement.

'What the hell does that mean?' She asked herself repeatedly as she watched him leaving the mansion from the large dining room window. Instinctively placing her sword back at her hip, she exited the room, being sure that she wasn't seen by the kitsune she was following.

She tailed him for what seemed like hours to her, ducking behind trees every so often to keep herself from being discovered. 'Where the hell is that bastard going?' she asked herself mentally, as she leapt into the closest tree, narrowly avoiding his jade gaze.

"I don't think it wise for you to be stalking around in the bushes as you are," A gruff voice whispered in her ear, as a sharp dagger was placed at her neck, coming dangerously close to the pounding arteries just beneath her skin.

"Well, Lieutenant Vidor, this is such a bold move on your behalf," She feigned a shocked expression, sitting calmly in his trembling arms, "I'm surprised a coward like you even dared to follow me. Bravo." She chuckled softly clapping her hands.

"You sorry bitch!" He whispered harshly against her neck, as he wrapped his arm around her neck, "Stop that clapping!" He ordered, plunging the dagger deep within her back, immediately satisfied at the pleasant shade of crimson her white tank had become.

She chuckled again, wrapping her arm around to her back and firmly grasping the hilt of the buried blade. "Foolish man," She whispered harshly as she ripped the dagger from her back, splattering the surprised official with her own life fluid. "You think your little dagger can harm me?" She hissed as she pressed his own dagger to his neck and turned to face him.

"Please don't hurt me!" He sobbed as tears spilt from his dark brown eyes, "It was not my idea! Lord Koenma sent me here!" He sobbed louder still, tears spilling down his cheeks and onto his deep blue uniform.

"Is that so?" She questioned spitefully, as she grabbed the man by his neck and held him out over the edge of the branch.

"Please have mercy!" He cried again, the sounds of his boots scraping against the bark of the tree rang throughout the entire forest as he tried desperately to push his way back on the branch.

She smirked, as she dug her nails into the thick neck of her victim, "Know this." She whispered, pulling him closer to her and whispering in his ear, "If you ever try something like this again…I'll kill you." She chuckled as his body shuddered at her tone, as she let her grasp slip slightly, causing him to cry out once again.

"Oh, and do tell Lord Koenma that if he ever tries this…I'll destroy him." She chuckled once again before tossing the Lieutenant further into the deep woods, feeling a sense of accomplishment when she heard his frail body hit the ground.

"Solene?" Kurama's voice called from the ground as he stared up into the tree, seeing her legs dangling over one of the higher branches. "What was all that noise?" He questioned, placing a hand to his brow, trying to block the sunlight from his eyes.

She leapt from the tree, landing beside him lightly, "None of your concern. Pest control." She chuckled as she tightened the tie of her sword to her belt.

"I…see," Kurama started, confused by her statement as he stared down into her stormy green eyes. "Well, would you care to have a friendly match out here?" This questioned threw Solene off guard as she made her way back to the tree, confused by his sudden change of subject.

"Well, that was why I was coming out here," He laughed lightly, brushing a strand of his long red hair from his face, "For a little solo training, but I personally would like to see more of your fighting style."

"Haven't you witnessed enough of it already?" She shot back, her eyes shifting between green and gray as she stood watching him, taking note of all the nervous movements he was making.

"Touché" he gave a nervous chuckle once again, followed by a soft cough. "I'm just very interested in your fighting abilities. And I know you are one of the best in the three worlds, so I would like to see just what you can do." She looked to the ground, as if contemplating his proposal.

He couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back for that flawless segue into feeding her ego. She was just as easy to persuade into a match as Hiei, in fact she shared many traits with the fire demon he had so long called his closest friend. Both were agile, fierce competitors, and very egotistical. 'Yes, her ego will defiantly be something to use against her in the future. I'll have to remember that.'

She chuckled lightly, pulling the kitsune from his mental victory and back to the real world. She began to saunter slowly towards him, her hips swinging uncharacteristically back and forth as she moved. He couldn't help but allow his eyes to wander of her extremely well built body, as this sudden sensual walk had reminded him of her sexual presence.

"Don't even try that with me, my dear kitsune," She chuckled once more as she reached him, her stormy green eyes staring up into his jade ones. "Though I may be egotistical, I'm not as foolish as your friend, Hiei." She spoke softly as she continued to make her way past him, wandering further into the forest.

His mouth dropped slightly as he watched her make her way slowly into the forest, his eyes still dancing over her body. It amazed him that she had caught on so quickly to his plan, that she hadn't even considered his ploy to be an actual compliment. 'So, she's a brilliant person as well as an excellent fighter.' He chuckled to himself as he trotted after her, 'Perhaps we have more in common than she realizes.'

He continued his brisk pace down the path, trying to catch up with the sauntering girl who left him standing the small clearing seconds before. 'Where did she go?' He asked himself mentally as he sped up slightly, trying to catch even a small glimpse of her.

"Looking for me?" She asked loudly as she leapt from a small bush, her sword glinting in the sunlight as she swung it down upon him.

"You missed!" He shouted as he rolled out of the way, narrowly missing her blade as he pushed off of the ground with one hand and summoned his rose whip with the other.

The two of them flew towards each other once again, his rose whip at the ready while she poised her sword for another attack. As soon as she swung, he threw his whip, wrapping it around the sword and halting it mid-swing. "It appears I have upper hand now, Solene." He chuckled as he gave the whip as sharp tug.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, kitsune." She hissed as she tightened the grip on the hilt and gave it a tug, pulling on his whip as well. "It seems that we are at a draw for once with our weapons."

"Then what do you say we try without them?" he asked, staring across the narrow gap into her eyes once again, "That way we can see how honed our hand to hand combat is." He suggested, not wanting to loosen the grip on his whip until she agreed with him.

"As you wish, kitsune," She chuckled as the two them tossed their weapons to the side of the small clearing. "Shall we?" She asked quietly as she leapt from the ground to one of the higher branches of a nearby tree.

"Fighting in trees?" He said with a chuckle as he followed her into the tree. 'What a foolish mistake on her part, she has given me an unfair advantage.' He thought mentally as he leapt from one branch to the next, chasing the elusive girl.

Suddenly, she appeared right in front of him, landing a punch to his left cheek. A sickening cracking noise filled the air as his head recoiled sharply around, stars blinding his vision for a split second. When he turned back to her, she had gone again, the sound of her light footsteps echoing throughout the trees.

He ran after the sounds of her footsteps, leaping from branch to branch as he went until he caught sight of the leaping female. Placing his hand against the trunk of the tree, he focused all of his energy into the bark. A cry echoed throughout the forest as thousands of razor sharp leaves flooded the area, each dragging themselves across Solene's body.

She cringed desperately trying to cover her vital organs from the continual onslaught of leafy needles that struck every inch of her body. Grabbing on to the trunk of the tree, she tried to stabilize herself, opening herself up for more attacks on her already bleeding body. Finally, after what seemed like hours of torture, she felt her eyes roll back in her head.

Kurama watched from his safe perch, smirking devilishly at the girl who was trying so desperately to dodge his onslaught. He finally was going to defeat the cocky girl who had been giving such hell since the moment she had arrived, and to be honest, he loved every minute of it. Then, just as he was about to stop the attack, he saw her swagger just a bit, and fall backwards from her branch.

"SOLENE!" He shouted as he leapt down branch by branch, silently hoping that he could reach the ground before she did, hoping to break her fall slightly. But just as he feet hit the ground, a sickening crunch resounded in his ears.

He turned around to see her body, lying in a mangled heap at the base of the tree. He rushed to her side, a pang of guilt flooding his entire body as he tried to assess the seriousness of her injuries. He knelt beside her, ripping a piece of sleeve off hoping that it would help stop the bleeding that was coming from the side of her skull.

"Oh Solene," He whispered as he gently tied the cloth around her skull, pushing some her blonde hair out of her eyes, "I am so sorry….I should have never used such an attack for so long…"

Just as he went to pick her up, a sharp pain entered his left leg, causing him to howl out in agony and release the girl in his arms. His eyes darted to his leg, seeing blood pouring from the wound in his leg and pooling at his feet. Assessing his own wound, it appeared as if a vine from a nearby tree and impaled itself through his leg. He reached down hoping to free himself from the searing pain of the vine, and grasped the edge that stuck out the inside of his calf. Just as he touched it, he felt himself being ripped from the ground and hung upside down from the tree, the pain in his leg causing him to cry out again.

"You are such a fool, kitsune," Solene chuckled as she pushed herself from the ground, using his spare rag to wipe a bit of the blood from her eyes before throwing it back to him. "Did you honestly think that I had forgotten you were an expert when it came to using plants?"

"A plant master like myself?" he asked, hoping to catch her off guard, he summoned another rose whip, and struck at her. However, she lifted her hand to the vine, and it became limp in his hand once more before turning back into a rose.

"Don't be foolish," She said with a light laugh as she made her way closer to him, pulling the rose from his hand, "I am much more powerful than you," she finished with a quick slap to his face.

"And you would threaten your own life, just gain a small victory?" he asked again, reaching up to rub his slowly reddening cheek.

"You would be surprised at what one would do for a chance at victory," She whispered, her voice becoming almost inaudible to him.

He shook his head in disgust at her last answer, "Apparently, I've misjudged you on so many levels, Solene." Kurama replied, slowly reaching up towards his injured leg, hoping once again to free himself.

"It seems you have," She spat, as she snapped her fingers causing him to plummet to the Earth. "See to it that it doesn't happen again, Kurama." She said as she began to make her way away from the scene.

"Kurama?" He questioned, causing her to stop in her tracks, "You just called me by my name?" He asked again, hoping to get some answer as to why she had made the shift over to his name.

"You would prefer if I went back to calling you kitsune?" She replied hostilely, confused as why he would question her about something so trivial.

"No!" He nearly shouted as he pushed off the ground, standing unstably on his feet, "I was just confused as to why the sudden switch." He spoke softly, resting against the trunk of a tree, until he got feeling back in his injured leg.

She turned from him almost instantly, as if she were embarrassed to answer his ridiculous question. "You said it yourself, did you not?" She shot at him, as she wound her mussed hair up into a tight bun on the top of her head, "If we are going to be partners, it wouldn't hurt to be on a first name basis." She repeated quietly as she began walking away from him once again.

However, before she could even make it halfway down the path, he saw her grasp her back, and crumple to the ground. "Solene?" He called to her, unsure if she was trying to teach him another lesson about underestimating her.

He limped closer to her form, keeping his guard up at all time and watching for any sudden movements that could signal her attack. "Solene?" He asked again as he looked down on her form. A look of anguish passed over her face, causing worry to flood throughout his body once more. Blood began to pool around her still body and he once again bent down, and placed a hand on her back gently flipping her over onto her stomach.

He tore away her shirt, revealing a deeply dug in wound that was still pouring a copious amount of her crimson life force on the ground around them. Acting instinctively, Kurama used the blood soaked garment to apply pressure to the deep wound, while rummaging through his pockets.

"BOTAN!" He shouted into the communicator he had successfully fished from his pocket, "Get me some help out here now!" He screamed as she gave him a salute before cutting the line of communication.

"Solene," He spoke softly to her, as he continued applying pressure to her severely bleeding back, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He asked as he gazed down at her severely scarred back, shuddering as he thought of how she had come to posses those terrible scars. He felt her body shiver intensely as he ran a finger along a jagged scar that stretched from the top of her spine to the bottom.

"KURAMA!" Botan's voice called from the sky above as she soared down to meet him on her oar. "Oh my! What happened here?" She questioned as she looked down on the deep wound on the girl's back.

"I'm not quite sure," He replied softly as he tried to cover her body as best he could, seeing some of Koenma's soldiers coming to carry the two of them. "All I know is she needs medical attention and fast!" He spat sharply, feeling her pulse growing weaker by the moment.

The next few minutes it was as if he were unaware of everything that was going on around him. Before he knew it, the soldiers had he and Solene strapped to carrying boards carting both of them back to the mansion and towards the hospital wing. He could feel his eyes growing heavier with each passing second, but he would steal a glance over at Solene every so often, making sure she was ok. He closed his eyes reluctantly, letting sleep finally over take him as the team moved him into a medical bed and let the hospital staff get to work on he and his new comrade.


	7. Chapter 7

Solene's Dream

Solene had become almost accustomed to the feeling she got when she was entering her dream world. That floating, almost weightless feeling was enough to make her sick to her stomach. She drifted closer to the ground, mind racing at what thoughts her dreams would choose to reveal to her this time.

"Damn that girl!" Vidor shouted as he pounded against Koenma's desk, staring at the most recent pictures that had been taken in the Makai.

"Calm yourself, Vidor," Koenma mumbled, sipping from his teacup. "Pounding your fists against my desk isn't going to stop the rampages she's been going on lately," he said as he brushed a stray strand of hair from his eyes.

"Calm myself?" Vidor chuckled, beginning to pace around the room, still clutching the picture of Solene in his grasp, "CALM MYSELF?" He roared, ripping the picture in two and tossing it to the floor. "HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM MYSELF?" He roared once again, stomping the picture before clearing his throat and spitting its contents on the tattered picture.

"Vidor, you really have to calm down," Koenma replied, making his way over to the stressed guard member. "You are now Captain of my royal guard." He reminded the shaking man, using both of his hands to force the smaller man to look his way. "As Captain, the men under your command will look to you as an example. I'll be damned if the first guard I ever command pitches fits every time something doesn't go their way!"

"Sir, you don't understand," Vidor's eyes shot to the floor, his fist squeezing so hard together he felt his nails would soon draw blood from his own palms. "She's been picking off the men's villages, one by one. She makes sure to kill each of their families in some cruel fashion, displaying the mangled bodies to be found by the guard as soon as we make our way in." He reeled again, this time narrowly missing Koenma as he made his way to the wall, violently punching and kicking it.

"VIDOR!" Koenma roared, seizing his flailing captain under the arms and pulling him from the wall. "You HAVE to calm down!" He whispered to the captain in his ear, "You acting like this in my office is not going to stop her attacks. We need to sit down and try to figure out her next move."

Vidor stopped flailing for a brief moment, staring down at his tightly laced boots, contemplating his boss' words. On one hand, using this time they had to try and plot out her next move was brilliant. Koenma had some of his finest people working on this case, studying her movements and trying to plot her course. While on the other hand, she could be inching her way closer to a village at any moment.

"Sir, where have they plotted for her to strike next?" Vidor questioned calmly as he wriggled free of his boss' tight grasp, "Have they discovered her next location?"

Koenma looked at his rapidly calming Captain before rushing to his desk, flipping through the mountains of paperwork as he searched desperately for the write up. "Here we are!" He cheered as he flipped open the folder, spreading out several different versions of maps across his desk. "Now let's see, the last attack was in…"

"Hanau…" Vidor whispered, tracing his scarred fingers across one of the maps to point to a small city, "She last destroyed Hanau. Not a single survivor from that village."

Solene cringed at the thought of demolishing yet another village. Memories flashed before her eyes of the bloodied bodies that she had unwilling tossed around that village. How she had dissected one mother's child while she watched, spreading his various bodies parts from one end of the home to the other. Then, she viciously turned on the mother, using her sharpened canines to rip chunks from the older woman's flesh while she shrieked for her husband. The thoughts of that massacre were enough to make Solene almost throw up the contents of her stomach then.

"Well, if that's where she attacked…" Koenma said, tracing his finger down the extensive paper that his workers had typed out for him, "Then that means that…."

"MY LORD!" Botan shrieked as she burst through the doors of Koenma's office, carrying a large stack of papers, "That girl, she is attacking Vaduz, a city to the southwest of her last attack site." Botan shrieked as she tossed numerous still shots of Solene's destruction all over Koenma's desk.

"THAT BITCH!" Vidor bellowed, pushing Botan out of his path as he began punching coordinates into his portal creator.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" Koenma questioned, as a bright blue portal appeared behind his new captain, "You can't just rush into battle without your squadron!"

"Vaduz is my hometown," Vidor said, turning from the two as he made his way closer to the swirling vortex in the center of the room. "You have the coordinates. Send the squadron as soon as they are ready. I am going to try and save my family." He hissed as he leapt through the portal taking him instantly to the other side.

Solene felt her stomach lurch violently, shutting her eyes as she was flung from one side of the world to the other, trying to block out the pain that was now ripping throughout her entire body. The smell of smoke soon brought Solene back to her dream as she slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the inferno before her. The all too familiar tightening returned to her stomach as she began following Vidor, preparing herself for whatever horror they were to face in the next few moments.

"Maemi!" Vidor cried as he kicked down a burning door to a small cottage on his left, running into the engulfed house, "MAEMI! ARE YOU IN HERE?" He called again, obviously looking for a lost spouse as he tore through their home, hot coals falling on his jacket as he made his way through.

Suddenly a blood curdling shriek filled the air, causing both Vidor and Solene to whip violently around. Vidor, seeing as he had been blocked in the house by falling debris, leapt through the window, glass shattering everywhere. There he was, face to face with Solene once again, her bright amber eyes staring down upon him, a small bundle clutched in her hands.

"Kosei" The young woman wailed once again, clutching Vidor's leg as she sobbed. "Vidor, please…." She whispered, pointing to the bundle that was still clutched in Solene's arms.

Vidor charged at full speed, withdrawing his blade from its sheath as he went. Solene smirked seeing the man flying at her with his full force and easily stepped out of the way of his attack. Vidor roared, rebounding off of a nearby house as he charged her again, sword drawn and at the ready to plunge deep within her.

However, once again Solene's expert training paid off. She easily stepped just outside the reach of his blade and slammed an elbow into his spine.

He wailed in pain, feeling his spinal column cracking under the pressure that her blow had inflicted. The young woman's shriek filled the air once again as he fell to the ground, desperately clutching at his back. He writhed on the dirt road, trying desperately to push himself off of the ground to defend his family.

"Vidor," The young woman cried as she rushed over to him, brushing some of his graying hair from the deep brown orbs that were his eyes. Her bright red hair plastered to her forehead as she stared up at the beast that was attacking her village. "You bitch!" She screamed as she wielded his sword and charged at Solene.

Maemi could feel the weight of the heavy sword weighing on her burned arms as she rushed towards the demon girl. The sword glinted in the light of the flames around it as she swung down, her aim centered on Solene's skull.

Lifting a hand up, Solene stopped the blade midair, making the young woman whimper in surprise as she sank to the ground. Using the blade, Solene lifted the fiery redhead to eye level, making the younger woman tremble as she stared into her lifeless yellow eyes. Then she was slung across the street, coming to an abrupt halt when she came into contact with the outside wall of a nearby house.

"MAEMI!" Vidor shouted towards his sobbing wife, as he struggled once more to push himself off the ground. "Maemi, just hold on, I'M COMING!" He reassured her as he began to crawl towards her, noticing the blood trail that was making its way down her face.

Solene could see her former self standing completely still in the middle of the small yard, the baby bundle still clutched in her grasp. However, it was not the child that held her interest; it was the sword that she had grabbed in her scuffle with the woman. Her lazy amber eyes traced over the sword's wonderful craftsmanship, admiring the way the sapphire inlays glinted in the flame light.

'So, that's where it came from…" Solene told herself, reaching down to grasp the hilt of her sword tightly.

Suddenly, a piercing headache flew not only through Solene's former body, but through her dream self's as well. The both cried out, clutching their heads as they waited for the splitting pain to pass. Solene opened her stormy green eyes to see her former self walking slowly over to Vidor and his wife, holding the new sword tightly in her hands.

"VIDOR!" Maemi sobbed once again as she watched the demon girl pick her husband up by the collar, causing him to wail in pain again.

Solene saw herself smile, almost as if she was enjoying torturing this poor man as she tossed him into the wall beside his wife. Then, with one quick motion she pushed the sword deep within his stomach, causing a spurt of blood to spray all over her face. Maemi well again as she threw herself over her bleeding husband, slicing her hands on the sharp sword as she tried desperately to pull it out.

The sound of his mother's shrill sobs caused the sleeping child in Solene's arms to wake up, sniffing quietly as he looked up at his captor. She looked down upon the squirming infant, confused as to why the little thing had decided to stir now. The child wiggled in her grasp, attempting to free himself and get to his sobbing mother. When he could not be freed, he let out a huge wail, alerting his parents to his presence.

Solene hissed loudly and covered her ears, trying desperately to block out the terrible sound. She dropped the child to the ground, allowing his mother to make a desperate dash towards him. However, when the screaming did not end, Solene seized the child once again, this time by the throat.

"NO!" Maemi cried as beat her fists against Solene's stocky legs. "Put him down, I promise I can make him stop…" She begged, wrapping her arms around Solene's legs.

However, Solene could not be stopped as she tightened her grip around the infant's narrow neck. She pushed her claws in, further and further watching the child's eyes beginning to droop almost forcing themselves closed. The sound of cracking bones filled the air, blood pouring out the slits in the child's neck as his head dropped limply in front of him. The young woman wailed again as Solene tossed the infant's lifeless body to his mother.

"YOU MONSTER!" Maemi roared from the ground as she cradled her son's lifeless body against her bosom. "How could you take the life of an innocent child?"

Solene stared down at her, watching tears fall from the woman's deep green eyes. She smirked as she kicked the child's body from her grasps before seizing the woman by the throat as well.

"MAEMI!" Vidor shouted as he watched his wife be lifted off the ground. He began to struggle once again, trying desperately to free his body from the blade that still pierced his torso.

Solene's smirk grew wider as she made her way over to the nearest wall, still carrying the struggling woman by the neck. She slammed her against the wall, leaving a deep indention of her body there. Withdrawing a few daggers from her suit, she drove one deep within the woman's shoulder, sending a loud cry echoing throughout the village. Smirking at the pain she was causing this woman, she drove another one into her opposite shoulder, and two more into each of her thighs. The woman's feet dusted the ground as she tried to pry herself away from the wall was Solene wasn't looking.

Solene turned to look at the still struggling Vidor, making sure that he was in full view of what was going on. She drew one dagger, longer than the rest of her others and made a quick incision in the center of her chest. She sliced through the thick muscle around her chest cavity, enjoying the feel of the woman's warm blood oozing down her arms.

Feeling the woman squirming against her dagger, Solene used her hands to peeling back some of the thick skin, revealing the woman's bleach white ribs. She traced her hands around the sternum, seeing Maemi's face paling as she stared down at her open chest cavity. A sickening crunch followed one of Solene's punches as Maemi began to squirm once again, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried out against the force felt in her chest.

With another sharp punch, Solene cracked the sternum, smirking as she ran her hand down the crack. Then, drawing her dagger once again, she forced it within the deep break rocking it back and forth trying to make the opening wider. When it was narrow enough to fit her fingers through, she pressed her hands into the crack, the tips brushing up against the slow beating organ as she pressed deeper within the chest cavity. Forcing Maemi's face down to look at her open chest, Solene used all of her strength to force the walls of the ribs open, the sounds of the snapping bones filling the air.

Meami cried out once more, feeling the bones snap with her chest as she stared down at the beating organ that was struggling to keep her alive. Her body began to dull to the pain, as her vision began to grow darker. She could hear her husband calling out to her, trying to keep her thoughts on the world around her, but his voice becoming more and more muffled as she slipped further into the dark abyss.

The beating heart within the center of her open chest caught Solene's attention at first glance. Her mouth began to salivate heavily as she extended her left hand to it, enjoying the feel of its contracting and relaxing muscles as she caressed it. Then with one sharp tug, she removed it from its holding place, Maemi's blood spraying from the severed aorta and covering her entire front.

"NO!" Vidor roared from the opposite side of the courtyard as he watched Solene take a bite from the steaming heart. He watched his wife's head hanging limply in front of her body as he tried to convince himself that it was all just a dream.

Solene looked over to the sobbing man across the courtyard, as she took another bite from the heart, savoring the metallic taste of the residual blood the filled her mouth. She slowly sauntered over towards him, stepping over the corpse of his dead child as she went. She stood over him, her amber eyes glowing against their crimson background as she stared down at him. Leaning down, she took another bite in front of his face, some of the blood spraying out onto his cheek as she chewed the piece quickly.

He spat in her face, snarling at the site of her chewing his wife's heart in her mouth. "Get the fuck away from me," He growled lowly as he struggled against the sword once again.

She smirked down at the man, setting what was left of the heart in his lap. Then, wrapping her hands around the hilt of the blade, she freed him of it, enjoying the crimson flow of blood that followed its edge. Then she leapt away from him, speeding away from the burning village as fast as she could.

Solene watched her former self run away from the village, feeling the taste of bile washing up within her mouth as she forced the urge to throw up back down. She glanced back over to where Vidor was propped against the house, seeing him struggling, trying so desperately to get up. Now it made sense as to why he attacked her, but why wouldn't he have killed her when she slept? Why didn't he understand that she was controlled by some mad man? Was it because she was the front person of all the attacks that had been led upon him?

She watched as his men rounded the corner, each of them reeling at the sight of his murdered family as they tried to shield his eyes from the sight. Feeling her stomach reeling again as they removed his wife's pinned body from the wall, she covered her mouth, feeling all of her meals from the past years flooding her mouth once again.

End Dream

Solene leaned over the metal railing of her bed as she emptied the contents of her stomach on the floor, staining it a sickening shade of green. She sat back after her episode, wiping her mouth on the clean white sheets of her hospital bed as she tried to calm herself after watching that dream play out in her head.

"Glad to see you're awake," Kurama whispered quietly from the opposite side of the room, watching as one of her attendees from the medical staff began cleaning up from her episode, 'You've been out for nearly five days now."

Solene stared at him, shocked that she had been out of the waking world for an entire five days. She stared down at her completely bare torso, noticing the wrap that surrounded her, barely covering her breasts. She sighed, pulling the sheets up to her neck and propping herself up on the pillows behind her.

"What happened to you?" He asked, signaling for the staff maid to leave as he made his way closer to her bed, sitting down on a chair beside her.

She looked away from him, her stormy green eyes watching as the staff member left, following the young lady down the hallway. She didn't want to explain herself to him. After all, what had he done to earn her trust? A great fighter, he was, but that didn't make him anymore trustworthy than that bastard Koenma.

"I hurt myself worse in the fall than I had originally intended to." She lied, turning to face him for a brief moment before turning her gaze out the window, staring at the rain that pelted against the window panes.

"Is that so?" Kurama asked as he leaned over to grab her chart, thumbing through it as he scanned for the write up on her condition. "Here we go," he remarked, turning the chart to face her as he quoted, "The patient, although suffering from many minor injuries inflicted during a training exercise, suffers mostly from a deep puncture wound in the upper left quadrant of her back."

"So what?" She spat, pushing the forms away from her, "I told you, I hurt myself during the fall. I felt a sharp rock pierce my skin." She growled, as she tossed over onto her side, feeling a sharp pain flood her entire body.

"I see," Kurama replied as he flipped the chart open once again, "Then why was the wound already beginning to close itself off when they found it?" He asked as he read from the diagnosis chart.

"Because I heal very quickly," She lied, stroking the bandages that circled her, "That's not so hard to believe is it?"

"No, no its not." He replied as he studied the charts more in depth, "But you know, Solene, I'm here to help you." He reminded her as his eyes followed the long scars that lined her back.

"Thanks, but I don't need your help," She hissed, brushing some of her stray bangs from her face as she spoke, "It's not like you would believe me if I told you," She growled again, catching Kurama's attention.

"What do you mean?" he shot back, irritated that she was making such comments with him sitting in her room.

"I mean, you've given me no reason to trust you in the entire time I've been here." She hissed as she turned to him, feeling the surge of pain running through her body once again. "You've done nothing but attack me. Why should I believe you want to help me?"

"I've done nothing to keep you from trusting me," Kurama growled back, stooping down so that he could be eye level with her, "The only time I've ever attacked without you attacking me first, was when I saved you from Koenma's men."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She snarled, staring into his jade eyes, "I had that fight under control until you had to step in."

"Hardly. They were going to kill you." He replied, his usually calm demeanor melting away with each passing second, "They had one of the top assassins stationed out in the hallway, just waiting for you to make your grand escape. If I wouldn't have put you out, he would have killed you as soon as you stepped foot outside the office."

She widened her eyes at this thought. Could she really have been so naïve as to think that she could have beaten back Koenma's men and not have had to deal with the consequences? She shook head away from that thought as he turned he gaze back to the window once more. "It was Vidor…" She whispered, trailing off as she waited for his response.

Kurama sat in silence for a brief moment running over what she had just said in his head. Vidor, Koenma's captain of the guard had stabbed her. Why would he have done such a thing, he had no reason to. "Why should we believe that Vidor was the one to stab you?" Kurama asked, looking at her, hoping she would give him some explanation.

"Believe me or don't believe me. That's your choice," She hissed, pulling the sheets closer to her as she snuggled down in her bed, "I know the truth. I don't need your belief to justify my feelings." She growled, closing her eyes and blocking him from her mind.

Kurama sat looking at her for a moment longer, still confused as to why Vidor would have stabbed her. "I will speak to Koenma about this." He whispered quietly, making his way out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Solene sat up in her bed, stood and made her way over to the window, sitting on the window seat. She stared out the rain, watching hit the lake when the occasional lightning flash illuminated the sky. Shuddering once as she placed her forehead against the window and allowed the sound of the rain to soothe her tired body. She sighed and made her way back to her bed, collapsing into it and falling asleep almost instantly. Her dreams that night would be plagued by the memories of Vidor, and all the things she had done to him in her 'past life'.


End file.
